India’s public digital infrastructure is open source, portable and secure: IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Communications Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday that “what is unique about India’s digital public infrastructure is that it is open source, interoperable, scalable, transferable, secure and based on a public-private partnership.

“India has set a policy objective to ensure that the benefits of the digital economy reach the last mile, which is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inclusive growth vision,” Vaishnaw said.

Delivering the keynote address at an event hosted by G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, Union Communications Minister Vaishnaw said, “We are happy to share India’s experience in digital public infrastructure, with the extended global family, which resonates with our civilizational ethos and India. Theme for the G20 Presidency — Vasudaivam Kutumbakam.”

The theme of the event, which took place at Sushma Bhawan in New Delhi, was Building Resilient and Inclusive Economies: The Promise of Digital Public Infrastructure. Bill Gates, Co-Chair and Trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was the guest of honor at the event.

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant spoke about India’s digital public infrastructure model. He said, “Building and scaling digital public infrastructure has demonstrated the utility of safe, secure and interoperable digital public platforms that have improved service delivery, minimized leakage and ensured effective use of data. resources available.

Kant said India’s achievements in financial inclusion, digital health, digital education and governance have demonstrated how to scale technologies, thereby maximizing their impact. He said India’s digital transformation model holds many valuable lessons for the world and urged G20 countries to leverage digital public infrastructure to unlock inclusive growth.

Bill Gates said, “India has shown how investments in technology and innovation at scale can trigger change, from how people save money to how governments serve their citizens” .

He said there was an urgent need for an international initiative on digital public infrastructure to advance a range of G20 priorities, including pandemic preparedness, women’s economic empowerment, financial inclusion, good governance, food security, agricultural transformation and digital health transformation.

Startup founders, entrepreneurs, representatives of civil society organizations, policy makers attended the event.

The event also included a panel discussion between MobiKwik President and Co-Founder Upasana Taku, ZestMoney Co-Founder and CEO Lizzie Chapman and Open Financial Technologies Co-Founder and COO Mabel Chacko, moderated by the Sherpa.

Digital public infrastructure is an important priority for India in its presidential year. A robust digital public infrastructure can accelerate a nation’s progress toward economic growth and ensure greater job creation and innovation.