Public Digital Backbone/In the News

India ready to share DPI ecosystem with global south: DEA Secretary 22 Sep 2023, MTNL

New Delhi: India is ready to share technical capabilities and knowledge related to its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) ecosystem for financial inclusion efforts of the Global South, Ajay Seth, secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) said on Friday.

Speaking at the International Conference on Digital Public Infrastructure, Seth said that India has used ecosystems around DPI, which is an interoperable, scalable, open, and inclusive system, digitally empowering, to provide society wide services by public and private players.

"We developed a solution approach for delivering the best in the class services for the last mile and even the remotest parts of the country," Seth said adding that the country's achievements are well known in numbers.

(https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/india-ready-to-share-dpi-ecosystem-with-global-south-dea-secretary/amp-11695390376005.html)

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India Showcases Digital Prowess at G20: UPI, RuPay, and Digital Rupee Take Center Stage

''6 September 2023. Indian Express''

India is set to display its advanced digital public infrastructure (DPI) at the G20 Summit. The showcase includes the UPI service, which doesn't require foreign delegates to have an Indian bank account, and the innovative RuPay payment system that enables contactless transactions via wearables. Additionally, the Digital Rupee (Central Bank Digital Currency or CBDC) will be demonstrated live. Through the Bharat Bill Payment System, India also offers cross-border payment solutions for non-resident Indians. India's promotion of these platforms, such as the "India Stack", positions the country as a leader in digital governance. This move is seen as India's strategy to emphasize its achievements in digital infrastructure, distinguishing itself from countries like China, which focus more on physical infrastructure. RBI's Public Tech Platform will also be highlighted, offering frictionless credit based on comprehensive citizen data. Through these efforts, India aims to inspire both developed countries and those in the Global South, asserting its role as a pioneer in the digital revolution.

('UPI for delegates to credit platforms, India yo showcase digital infra' https://indianexpress.com/article/india/upi-for-g20-delegates-to-credit-platform-india-to-showcase-digital-infra-8926420/)

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'''Leveraging UPI as it crosses 10bn mark. India Stack for Global Outreach'''

''4 September 2023. Indian Express''

The United Payments Interface (UPI) recently marked a landmark with over 10 billion transactions. This isn't just a domestic success story; it's also a cornerstone of India's foreign policy strategy.

Under India's G20 presidency, the nation spotlighted its strides in digital public infrastructure (DPI), with UPI being a central component. This effort is part of a broader initiative known as India Stack, which encompasses digital codes and public goods aiming to streamline identity verification, data handling, and payments at a mass scale.

Three layers form the core of India Stack:

1. Identity: Spearheaded by Aadhaar, India's national ID program, this layer aids in remote authentication and offers government-supported digital signatures.

2. Payments: UPI, overseen by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is central to this layer, ensuring seamless transactions across various platforms like PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm.

3. Data Management: Operating under the Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) policy, this layer emphasizes consent-based data sharing to improve various services for individuals and companies.

India is not just keeping these advancements to itself. Recent efforts have been geared towards internationalizing these solutions, as many of India's digital tools, including CoWin, DigiLocker, and Aarogya Setu, are built on the India Stack model.

Reflecting its global aspirations, India has penned agreements with nations like Armenia, Sierra Leone, and Papua New Guinea to share India Stack. Furthermore, countries including Mauritius and Saudi Arabia are keen on adopting this model. UPI's international footprint is also expanding, with nations like France and Singapore embracing it and Japan showing interest.

India's digital innovations have been a focal point during its G20 presidency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India as an "ideal testing lab" for digital solutions and expressed the country's willingness to share its digital public goods expertise, underscoring the inclusive vision behind India Stack.

In summary, as India charts its path in the digital governance realm, its emphasis on open digital infrastructures like UPI and India Stack is setting the stage for a new kind of diplomatic outreach, one that emphasizes collaboration in the digital age.

https://indianexpress.com/article/business/upi-10-billion-transactions-india-foreign-policy-8921480/