Rajeev Chandrasekhar bats for India’s digital public infrastructure

NEW DELHI: India’s call for global cooperation and equitable growth for all, alongwith its showcase of transformative digitisation have resonated with the world, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said, exuding confidence that G20 presidency of India underpins strong messages that will leave an indelible mark.

Ahead of G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled in the capital for September 9-10, Chandrasekhar termed India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) a force whose time has come and added that nothing can stop it.

He said the Indian approach on DPI smashes old normal, which was about big tech companies dominating the space, and paves the way for new normal, one that is open source, nimble, consumer-driven, and `non-intermediated’.

“When over 1 billion Indians are using it, who can resist it?,” Chandrasekhar said.

The Minister of State for Electronics and IT was referring to the country’s payment, identity and other population-scale platforms which have captured attention of many nations with several MoUs already signed.

India is developing its DPI as a core utility for every citizen.

Chandrasekhar pointed out that India’s message, in its capacity as current president of the G20 grouping of the world’s biggest economies, has been about accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth for all.

India has highlighted that power of technology, innovation, and bright, young minds all around the world will shape the global future.

“So I think India’s presidency will certainly give a lot of permanent messages and learnings to the countries of the world beyond the G20 presidency, and it will certainly be one of the more defining Presidencies of the G20 in the recent years,” he said.

While the world went through two `black swan events’ over last 3-4 years, India has emerged as a “bright spot” with its economy expanding and “chugging at full speed”, Chandrasekhar noted.

“We hope that global recovery stabilises, that the US and other Western economies that are today slowing down or showing signs of weakness get back, because in a lot of way these are consumption markets...Currently India is a bright spot in the world...but we would also

like the rest of the world to pick up and shrug off whatever problems...and get back to building an economy, global trade, economic growth, that is fair, sustained, equitable and allows many of small countries that have, in a sense, not been able to participate in economic growth also to participate,” he said.

India’s thrust on DPIs, the one Future Alliance, innovation, and young minds have been deeply appreciated by countries of the Global South, that long felt a gap in digitisation and technology.

“India putting forth this narrative about DPI, has seen a great deal of resonance, especially among those countries of the Global South, who have long felt that digitisation and technology were only for the rich countries,” Chandrasekhar said.

India, through its DPIs and one Future Alliance, has demonstrated that there is a reasonable and realistic opportunity for every country, big or small, to also embrace a powerful digitisation journey, he said.