India can play role in DPI development in global south, says MEA official

India can play a role in supporting the global south in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) development by technology transfer, knowledge sharing, and promoting the adoption of open source technologies, a top Ministry of External Affairs official said on Wednesday.

Delivering his key note address at the Global Technology Summit Innovation dialogue co-hosted by the MEA and Carnegie India virtually, Special Secretary (ER and DPA), MEA, Periasamy Kumaran said how over the past decade and a half, DPI has evolved from a conceptual framework to a tangible, practical force, catalysing unprecedented innovation, driving improved public service delivery and promoting greater economic inclusivity and development.

He noted that today, the DPI model has emerged as a key Indian value proposition and is being adopted and adapted by countries worldwide.

"Based on our own experience during this period, for DPI based solutions to work and to produce the kind of outcomes in vision, we require three key aspects to come together -- technology, governance and community. Technology creates the digital systems, technical protocols and applications that provide the building blocks. Governance is critical in facilitating user adoption at scale by establishing trust," he said.

According to him, governance frameworks may include rules of engagement, governing stakeholder behaviour, cross cutting and domain specific norms, laws and policies and governance embedded into digital technologies. Finally, vibrant and broad based community participation is essential to enable value creation.

This includes private sector and civil society actors who can collaborate to unleash innovation and unlock value. DPI can play a transformative role in a number of areas. These include financial inclusion, small business empowerment, transparent delivery of citizen services, driving blockchain based financial services, and unified lending platforms, Kumaran said.

"Many of these ideas are already under implementation, but more will come on stream in the months and years ahead. With the integration of AI to make better sense of the huge amounts of data generated, DPI can become the backbone of an interconnected, more efficient and inclusive, digital society," he added.

Speaking on the intersection of DPI with international cooperation and the global impact it can generate from the vantage point of the MEA, Kumaran said, "As new technologies emerge at an average rate, it is benefiting a select few and perpetuating a digital divide of sorts, as India advances in its DPI journey. We are committed to assisting other nations in adopting and scaling digital public infrastructure."

He noted that the potential for DPI to drive global progress is substantial, if supported by the requisite level of international cooperation.

He also highlighted how India's successes provide a strong foundation for us to assist the global south in developing and scaling its own DPI initiatives.

"India can play a role in supporting the global south in DPI development by technology transfer and knowledge sharing, promoting the adoption of open source technologies. Number two, advising and capacity building on data governance, policies and cyber security cooperation," he said.

India can advocate for interoperable and open global digital standards in the relevant forums, ensuring that DPI developed in the global south is compatible with global systems. This could help with cross border collaboration, especially trade finance and health, he said.

Kumaran highlighted about digital innovation and startup engagement.

"We can encourage partnerships between India's own finding digital startup ecosystem and entrepreneurs from the global south to co create DPI solutions. This could include accelerators, incubators and collaborative funding mechanisms," he said.

Despite the immense promise of DPI, he explained how challenges remain, ensuring privacy and data security, addressing the digital divide and building trust in digital systems are critical.

"Additionally, there are governance challenges such as ensuring transparency, accountability and inclusivity in the development and deployment of DPI. However, these challenges also present opportunities. India's experience with large scale digital transformation offers useful lessons for overcoming these obstacles by investing efforts in fostering cross border cooperation, promoting digital literacy and ensuring that DPI systems remain open and inclusive, it can unlock the full potential of DPI for global development," he explained.