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DPI@2047
for Viksit Bharat
A Strategic Roadmap to Enable Non-linear
Inclusive Socio-economic Growth
April 2026 Disclaimer
This roadmap has been prepared by NITI Frontier Tech Hub (FTH) in consultation with experts and
stakeholders. The data used is from secondary sources. Any references to specific organisations,
products, services or technologies does not attribute to endorsement but are only for
illustrative purposes. Acknowledgement
W
e express our sincere gratitude to Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, Former CEO, NITI Aayog,
Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and Shri
Nand Kumarum, President & CEO, National e-Governance Division (NeGD), MeitY, for their
invaluable contributions. Their guidance has been instrumental in ensuring that the roadmap remains
both aspirational in its vision and firmly grounded in present realities. Expert Council Members
Dr. Pramod Varma
Cofounder & Chief
Architect, Networks
for Humanity
Mr. Nandan Nilekani
Co-Founder and
Chairman of Infosys
Technology Limited
Mr. Shankar Maruwada
Co-Founder
and CEO at
EkStep Foundation Lead Contributors
Mr. Alok Gupta, Chief Solutions & Product Officer, Ekstep Foundation
Mr. Kameswara Rao, Director, Solutions & Growth, Ekstep Foundation
Mr. Viswanathan Ravichandran, Partner, Deloitte South Asia
Ms. Nandita Chandrasekhar, Consultant, Deloitte South Asia
Ms. Ananya Anand, Consultant, Deloitte South Asia
Other Contributors
Ms. Anusree Jayakrishnan, Technical Architect, Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure
Ms. Kamya Chandra, Chief Strategy Officer, Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure
Ms. Tanushka Vaid, Senior Program Officer, Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure
Ms. Aliya Fathima Sheriff, Program Associate, FIDE
Mr. Anirban Sinha, Principal, Digital Energy Grid, FIDE
Mr. Sujith Nair, CEO & Co-founder, FIDE
Mr. Abhishek Sankritik, Director, Programs and Policy, Finternet Labs
Mr. Siddharth Shetty, CEO & Co-Creator, Finternet Labs
Mr. Kiran Anandampillai, CEO and Founder, iDrishti
Mr. Gaurav Gupta, Chief Growth Officer, EkStep Foundation
Mr. Jagadish Babu, Chief Operating Officer, EkStep Foundation
Ms. Shalini Kapoor, Chief Strategist - Data & AI, Chief Growth Officer, EkStep Foundation
Mr. NSN Murty, Partner, Deloitte South Asia
Mr. Sreeram Ananthasayanam, Partner, Deloitte South Asia vii
Message
India’s aspiration to realise a Viksit Bharat by 2047 necessitates
development pathways that are at once inclusive, scalable, and
capable of delivering broad-based gains in productivity across
the economy. Over the past decade, Digital Public Infrastructure
has demonstrated the transformative potential of shared digital
foundations in expanding access, enhancing service delivery,
deepening inclusion, and catalysing innovation at population
scale. The next phase of this journey must move decisively beyond
foundational inclusion towards enabling livelihoods, strengthening
human capabilities, and unlocking new engines of growth across
sectors and regions.
The NITI Frontier Tech Hub roadmap presents a timely and well
considered framework to guide this national endeavour. Its emphasis
on a problem-led and ecosystem-driven approach is particularly
apposite, with States and districts envisaged as central to contextual
adoption, and with technology, data, and artificial intelligence
harnessed to expand opportunity for citizens, farmers, workers,
and enterprises alike. If pursued with clarity of purpose, close
coordination, and sustained commitment, this roadmap holds the
promise of fostering a more resilient, productive, and inclusive digital
economy, while further consolidating India’s standing as a global
leader in public-purpose digital transformation.
SUMAN K. BERY
Vice Chairman
NITI Aayog Foreword
India’s aspiration of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047 requires new
approaches that can deliver growth at both scale and speed while
ensuring inclusion across society.
Over the past decade, India’s pioneering Digital Public
Infrastructure (DPI) —anchored in Aadhaar’s foundational digital
identity for over 1.3 billion people, UPI’s explosive adoption driving
billions of seamless transactions monthly, and interoperable
platforms for inclusive banking and payments — has proven the
power of open, shared digital building blocks. These systems have
revolutionized service delivery, dramatically expanded financial
and economic participation, unleashed innovation, and built
unprecedented state capacity, earning global recognition as a model
for the world.
The NITI Frontier Tech Hub roadmap on DPI @2047, marks the vital
next chapter in our DPI journey. Building on these hard-won lessons,
the focus now shifts from foundational inclusion to unlocking broad-
based economic opportunity and higher productivity. By deepening
DPI’s reach into critical sectors, MSMEs should be empowered with
seamless access to markets, credit, and digital tools; uplift farmer
livelihoods through data-driven agriculture and fair value chains;
strengthen human capabilities via transformed education and health
systems; and expand affordable credit and economic participation for
millions more.
Achieving these sectoral transformations requires breaking structural
barriers that have long constrained India’s potential — low productivity,
fragmented markets, and unequal access — while harnessing the full
potential of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence,
to accelerate innovation, personalize services, and amplify impact.
None of this will happen in silos. Success demands coordinated
execution across government, industry, academia, and civil society;
robust institutional frameworks that prioritize trust, security, privacy,
and interoperability; and a vibrant ecosystem where public and private
innovators collaborate to build upon open DPI rails. ix
As we march toward 2047 — the centenary of our independence —
India’s DPI approach stands as a powerful, proven foundation for
inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth. It positions us not just
to meet our national aspirations, but to offer the world a replicable
pathway for equitable digital transformation.
I am confident this roadmap will serve as an inspiring and
practical guide for policymakers, innovators, entrepreneurs,
development partners, and all stakeholders united in the shared
mission to realize the promise of a truly Viksit Bharat.
S. Krishnan
Secretary, MeitY Foreword
The India we seek to build by 2047 must be one where opportunity is not
constrained by geography, language, income or institutional complexity.
It must be an India where a small entrepreneur can access markets with
confidence, where a farmer can make informed decisions with timely
intelligence, where a student can learn in ways that truly empower and where
families are better protected from vulnerability. Technology, in this vision, is
not an end in itself; it is an instrument for widening human possibility.
Incremental progress will not be sufficient for the scale of India’s
aspirations. We must think in terms of systems that multiply impact,
institutions that enable innovation and digital foundations that create
compounding value across sectors. Data must become more usable and
trusted, Artificial intelligence must become more accessible and relevant
to India’s realities and Digital ecosystems must strengthen human capacity,
deepen trust and expand opportunity across the country.
The path ahead must remain rooted in India’s federal strength and social
diversity. The future of India will be shaped not only in national capitals, but
in States, districts, towns and villages where development is experienced
in everyday life. Our progress will depend on enabling local ecosystems,
empowering States to lead with context and ownership and ensuring that
innovation responds to the lived realities of citizens.
As India steps into this next phase, we have the opportunity to offer
the world not merely a model of digital advancement, but a model of
development that is open, inclusive and anchored in public purpose. Our
responsibility is therefore larger than building digital systems; it is to build
trust, expand agency and lay the foundations of enduring prosperity. If we
act with ambition, collaboration and clarity of purpose, India can shape a
future in which growth is not only faster, but fairer; not only more innovative,
but deeply human.
Nidhi Chhibber
CEO, NITI Aayog Foreword
Having built one of the world’s most successful Digital Public
Infrastructure (DPI) ecosystems over the past fifteen years—driving
financial inclusion at population scale, reducing welfare leakages, and
making UPI the global benchmark for real-time payments—India must
now take the next decisive leap.
The next phase of India’s digital transformation must move beyond
financial inclusion toward livelihood-led, productivity-driven growth.
The NITI Frontier Tech Hub roadmap—DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat —
sets out this strategic direction through DPI 2.0 (2025–2035).
It identifies eight high-impact sectoral transformations to address
structural bottlenecks facing lower- and middle-income citizens and
enterprises—expanding market access and job discovery for MSMEs,
improving farmer livelihoods, enabling learner-centric education and
universal health coverage, and strengthening systemic enablers such as
access to credit, decentralised energy markets, and benefits that reliably
reach citizens.
Delivering these outcomes will require coordinated, ecosystem-
driven execution. The roadmap therefore highlights four critical
enablers: aggregating demand through district-level programs,
scaling technology entrepreneurship, leveraging artificial intelligence
through DPI, and deploying cross-sector strategic unlocks such as data
sharing, expanded digital transactions, democratizing AI and enhanced
human capacity.
Together, these actions can ignite the “hockey-stick” effect of DPI
2.0—unlocking non-linear growth that transforms every district
into an engine of opportunity and every citizen into a participant in
India’s prosperity.
In essence, this roadmap charts India’s journey from welfare to
wealth creation—leveraging DPI not just to deliver services, but to
unlock productivity, entrepreneurship, and inclusive prosperity at
population scale.
Debjani Ghosh
Distinguished Fellow,
NITI Aayog How to Read this Roadmap
This document presents a strategic roadmap for India to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat
2047 using Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach. It outlines a set of strategic execution
recommendations to enable systemic shift towards non-linear growth across sectors using
DPI approach.
The objective of this document is not to prescribe a fixed blueprint or provide a detailed
implementation plan. Instead, it recommends an actionable strategic direction for the way forward
to create the next generation of shared digital infrastructure and activate market innovation for
inclusive prosperity.
The Roadmap is structured into 4 sections:
i) Context Setting has Chapter 1 outlining learnings from India’s DPI journey so far and Chapter 2
articulating Why DPI approach is essential to Viksit Bharat.
ii) Roadmap has Chapter 3 defining a two phase approach - DPI 2.0 and DPI 3.0 and Target
Sectoral transformations as part of DPI 2.0 scope.
iii) Execution Strategy for DPI 2.0 in Chapter 4 defines the four key imperatives required with
Chapter 5 explaining one of these imperatives - Cross-Sector Strategic Unlocks in detail.
Chapter 6 defines ways of enabling sectoral transformations.
iv) Call to Action has Chapter 7 recommending a set of concrete actions to initiate the
execution of DPI 2.0.
Reading Guide
Time FocusPurpose
15 minutes
Executive Summary
The Strategic Core: Get the key insights, strategic
highlights and action direction. Ideal for Ministers
and senior leadership.
30 minutes
Executive Summary and
Recommended Action Plan
(Chapter 7)
The Execution Roadmap: Understand the stra-
tegic execution roadmap and immediate next
steps. Ideal for Ministerial Secretaries.
60 minutes Full Report
The Detail: Deep-dive into the detailed recom-
mendations across priority sectors. Ideal for
detailed understanding of What and Why. Sug-
gested for implementation teams and domain
experts. Table of Content
Executive Summary...........................................................................................................................................1
I. CONTEXT SETTING.......................................................................................................................................7
Chapter 1. Learnings from India’s DPI Journey So Far..................................................................................8
Chapter 2. DPI Approach: The Engine for a Developed India by 2047....................................................12
II. ROADMAP.....................................................................................................................................................15
Chapter 3. DPI@2047: The Roadmap to Prosperity..................................................................................... 16
Two-Phased Approach: DPI 2.0 and DPI 3.0.....................................................................................................................16
DPI 2.0 Scope: Target Sectoral Transformations............................................................................................................17
III. EXECUTION STRATEGY FOR DPI 2.0......................................................................................................19
Chapter 4. The Four Key Imperatives..............................................................................................................20
# 1: Aggregate Demand via District Programs..........................................................................................................20
# 2: Scale Tech Entrepreneurship.....................................................................................................................................21
# 3: Leverage AI Momentum...............................................................................................................................................21
# 4: Deploy Cross-Sector Strategic Unlocks..............................................................................................................22
Chapter 5. Detailing Cross-Sector Strategic Unlocks.................................................................................23
# 1: Unlocking Data.................................................................................................................................................................23
# 2: Democratizing AI............................................................................................................................................................25
# 3: Enhancing Human Capacity.....................................................................................................................................27
# 4: Expanding Digital Transactions..............................................................................................................................28
Chapter 6. Sectoral Transformations: Strategic Unlocks in Action.........................................................30
# 1: Scaled Market Expansion for MSMEs....................................................................................................................30
# 2: MSME Jobs Finding Local Talent.............................................................................................................................31
# 3: Improved Livelihood for Smallholder Farmers................................................................................................32
# 4: Decentralized Energy Markets................................................................................................................................33
# 5: Access to Credit for a Billion Indians.....................................................................................................................34
# 6: Safe Spaces for Learner-Centric Education......................................................................................................36
# 7: Universal Health Coverage........................................................................................................................................37
# 8: Benefits finding Beneficiaries..................................................................................................................................38
IV. CALL TO ACTION.......................................................................................................................................41
Chapter 7. Recommended Action Plan for DPI 2.0......................................................................................42
#1: Decentralized State-led execution..........................................................................................................................42
#2: Adopt Collaborative 2-year Iterative cycles of Transformations.............................................................42
#3 First cycle (2026-2027) focus on MSME and Agriculture.............................................................................43
#4 A neutral ecosystem body for global engagement is proposed..............................................................44
Appendices......................................................................................................................................................45 Executive Summary
Viksit Bharat by 2047 - India has set itself an audacious goal to become a $30 trillion economy
with a per capita income of $18,000 by 2047. It is a vision of a truly inclusive, resilient, and globally
competitive society. In the last 15 years, India has laid the foundation with improved citizen welfare and
financial inclusion at scale using the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach. India has to leverage
the exponential growth advantage of DPI approach to now take the next leap moving from welfare to
inclusive prosperity - to become a high-income, high-opportunity, and high-capability society.
Learnings from DPI 1.0 for Viksit Bharat Roadmap
The country’s journey so far, which can be termed DPI 1.0, has enabled an explosion of new services,
inclusion, and economic activity that was previously unimaginable. The result is a growth trajectory
that is non-linear, rapidly accelerating as more people and businesses are onboarded onto this digital
infrastructure. The learnings from this journey - forged in both success and challenge - must guide our
strategy for a Viksit Bharat.
Following summarizes the key lessons from the journey so far:
Roadmap
A two-phase approach is recommended as part of the DPI 2047 roadmap, to ensure that a broadbased
capable society is established as a foundation allowing a compounding effect towards inclusive
prosperity.
1DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat This document focuses on DPI 2.0 - expanding on its scope, execution strategy and action plan.
The DPI 2.0 Scope, consists of eight sectoral transformations , recommended based on their potential to
remove structural bottlenecks constraining the growth of the lower and middle income groups.
Mass Inclusion at Scale
1. Scaled Market Expansion for MSMEs through access to market intelligence, widening market
linkages, and simplifying compliance.
2. MSME Jobs finding Local Talent by making them digitally visible with the aim to make job
fulfillment a low cost, high trust transaction.
3. Improved Livelihood for Smallholder Farmers by enabling access to advisory services, market
linkages and credit.
Foundations of Human Capability
4. Safe Spaces for Learner-Centric Education empowering students, teachers and
administrators, towards realising the NEP’s vision by enabling equitable access to learning
materials in local languages and continuous learning pathways.
5. Universal Health Coverage to ensure that a single health crisis doesn’t erase a family’s progress
toward financial stability irrespective of their financial status.
2DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Systemic Enablers
6. Access to Credit for a Billion Indians by maximizing the utilization of monetizable assets for
microcredits.
7. Decentralized Energy Markets enabling effective utilization of renewable sources towards
unmet and growing energy needs.
8. Benefits finding Beneficiaries ensuring timely and inclusive access to social benefits for all
eligible citizens.
Execution Strategy for DPI 2.0
Achieving multi-sector transformation at this scale demands a radical focus on accelerated
transformation and the intentional growth of entirely new digital ecosystems. The DPI approach is
necessary but not sufficient, as India currently lacks a sufficient local ecosystem of entrepreneurs
and businesses ready to meet the new digital demand. We recommend execution strategy as four
interconnected critical imperatives with DPI approach as the overall foundation to drive the sectoral
transformations of DPI 2.0 roadmap.
DPI 2.0 EXECUTION STRATEGY
(with DPI Approach as its foundation)
#1 Aggregate Demand via District Programs: Achieving the compounding effect of DPI 2.0 requires
establishing strong, self-sustaining local economies as the foundation. Linking the DPI roadmap to
district-level development goals, via decentralized district programs, ensures that solutions are hyper-
localized with the adoption and usage being driven at the grassroots. The district programs are envisaged
as a mechanism to aggregate demand for DPI-based solutions which acts as a single largest incentive for
tech entrepreneurs, providing a secure pipeline of work.
#2 Scale Tech Entrepreneurship: India must dramatically expand its base of technology entrepreneurs
who can deliver DPI-aligned products and services. The goal is to build a distributed innovation engine
through incubators and accelerators, mission-focused R&D and the relevant policy and regulation. It
3DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat ensures that every sector and district has access to capable suppliers, developers, and innovators who
can respond to the aggregated demand.
#3 Leverage AI Momentum: Artificial Intelligence is the most significant productivity engine in human
history, offering the potential to solve complex, deeply rooted systemic problems that inhibit inclusive
growth. Enabling the use of AI through the DPI approach—making it accessible to every entrepreneur and
beneficial to every citizen—can create a momentum of exponential order.
Implementing the above recommended execution strategy will address the structural bottlenecks and
result in the DPI 2.0 sectoral transformations at speed and scale.
#4 Deploy Cross-Sectoral Strategic Unlocks: A cross-sectoral approach to address common structural
bottlenecks is essential to achieve transformations at speed and scale. We recommend following
strategic unlocks:
• Unlocking Data - Enable insights and credential proofs in a low-cost & high-trust manner.
• Democratizing AI - Ensure AI is accessible to all citizens and enterprises for predictive intelligence,
personalised guidance, removing digital and language barriers.
• Enhancing Human Capacity - Remove barriers to knowledge & expertise.
• Expanding Digital Transactions - Unbundle demand and supply through open networks and digital
enablement of entities.
4DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Call To Action
India stands at a once-in-a-generation inflection point. India’s DPI initiatives are already contributing
nearly 1% of GDP and could reach 4% by 2030
44
.
We recommend actioning DPI 2.0 as articulated in the
execution strategy on an immediate basis to get the momentum going for the journey to Viksit Bharat. We
recommend following four actions to achieve that:
#1: Decentralized State-led execution: We recommend DPI 2.0 to be executed through decentralised
state led initiatives with Government of India and NITI Aayog acting as catalysts.
#2: Adopt Collaborative 2-year Iterative cycles of Transformations: DPI as a design approach is still
unevenly understood across the ecosystem. As States embark on the uncharted journey of DPI 2.0
sectoral transformations, it is important to create the momentum in an iterative way so that we can figure
out exemplar pathways - solutions and replicable models - and build ecosystem capacity before focusing
on scaling them across states.
#3 First cycle (2026-2027) focus on MSME and Agriculture: For the initial cycle (2026-2027), we
suggest focusing on 3 sectoral transformations in MSME and Agriculture with six champion States/UTs
implementing lighthouse pilots in the first year and at least 5 additional States/UTs rollouts in the second
year for each of the proven transformations. MeitY and NITI Aayog should constitute an institutionalized
setup to support it, including an expert advisory group, engaging DPI expert organizations and
global partners.
#4 Establish a neutral ecosystem body for global engagement: Using the learnings from global partner
engagement in state-led transformations in 2026-27, India should consider establishing a globally focused
initiative in 2027. It is recommended to be housed in a neutral body in collaboration with global partners
that will spearhead India’s global engagement on DPI fostering a global community of collaboration on
DPI and AI for public good. A global DPI event can be planned for the launch of this initiative.
Achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047 is more than an aspiration; it is a strategic imperative that rests on our
ability to transform the economy into a high-productivity engine. Leveraging the exponential growth
advantage of DPI approach, India must now take the next leap of livelihood-led growth. The mission now
is to act with speed and synergy and leverage our proven digital leadership to achieve a truly inclusive,
resilient, and globally competitive society where growth is holistic and beneficial to all.
5DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat I. CONTEXT
SETTING Learnings from India’s DPI
Journey So Far
In the last 15 years, India has laid the foundation for our ambition of becoming a developed nation by
2047. However, this journey has not been without its challenges. As we chart our path forward, it is vital
to reflect on the lived experience - both its impact and lessons learned - to develop an effective and
actionable strategy.
Unlocking Non-Linear Growth: The Combinatorial Impact of DPI
In 2011, a staggering 65% of Indian adults lacked access to a formal bank account
2
,
limiting their
participation in the formal economy. Meanwhile, welfare programs were
plagued by leakages of 35-40%
3
, failing to reach those most in need.
India’s journey of DPI approach began with the launch of the Aadhaar
program with the objective to plug leakages in the social benefits. By
providing a unique digital identity to over 1.39 billion residents, Aadhaar
enabled instant, paperless identity verification (e-KYC). This single
innovation drastically reduced the cost of customer acquisition, laying the groundwork for unprecedented
financial inclusion and mobile penetration.
The First Wave of Combinatorial Impact: Jan Dhan and Mobile The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY), a mission to drive inclusive financial inclusion, leveraged Aadhaar’s e-KYC and zero balance
accounts policy to great effect. By eliminating traditional barriers, banks and fintechs were able to open
over 50 crore PMJDY accounts by 2023, a 3.4-fold increase since 2015
4
.
This was a non-linear leap: India
achieved 80% bank account penetration in just eight years, a feat the Bank for International Settlements
(BIS) estimated would have taken 47 years
5
.
In parallel, the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) approval of Aadhaar-based e-KYC in 2016
catalyzed a revolution in the telecom sector. This move enabled rapid, low-cost customer onboarding,
making it economically viable for operators to pursue a massive subscriber base. As a result, households’
ownership of mobiles in India surged to 85% by May 2025
6
. This was a critical step, as mobile phones
became the primary gateway to financial services and the digital economy for millions of rural Indians.
Powering the Economy: UPI and JAM The JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) became the
backbone of India’s digital transformation. Leveraging this trio, the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mission
created the world’s largest government-to-person (G2P) payment infrastructure, significantly plugging
social benefit leakages.
DPI contributed 0.9%
to India’s GDP in 2022,
projected to rise to
4.2% by 2030
1
Chapter 01
8DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat However, the most explosive growth was unleashed by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Launched
in 2016, UPI transformed India from a cash-dominated society into the global leader in digital payments
within just six years. This was more than a new payment method; it was a powerful catalyst for inclusion.
The sight of street vendors and small shop owners using UPI QR codes became commonplace, bringing
millions of micro-entrepreneurs into the formal economy. This massive inclusion was fueled by the JAM
Trinity and innovative regulation by the RBI allowing non-finance tech players to drive UPI payments
through their apps. It resulted in the creation of an ecosystem of over 600 banks and 80 apps
12
innovating
on top of a shared, open infrastructure.
Unlocking New Sectors: GST, FASTag, and Account Aggregator The combinatorial effect extended
beyond payments. Initiatives like GST (Goods and Services Tax) and FASTag, both launched in 2017,
created a unified national market. They streamlined logistics, reduced border wait times, and brought
more micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) into the formal
economy. This was made possible by the solutions provided by market
players, including banks and fintech, leveraging Aadhaar, GSTN and
NETC as digital shared infrastructure. Building on this momentum, the
Account Aggregator (AA) framework, enabled by the RBI in 2021,
unlocked a new wave of fintech innovation with lenders now disbursing
micro-loans in minutes without collateral. By using alternative data from UPI and GSTN, fintechs could
accurately assess risk and offer small, economically viable loans, democratizing access to credit
for millions.
The Hockey-Stick Effect The true power of India’s DPI approach lies not just in its individual
components— shared digital capabilities, market innovation, or mission-
mode programs—but also in their synergistic interaction. By removing
barriers and drastically lowering the cost of transactions, DPI approach
has enabled an explosion of new services, inclusion, and economic
activity that was previously unimaginable. This is the essence of non-
linear growth. The result is a growth trajectory that is not incremental, but rather a “hockey stick” curve,
rapidly accelerating as more people and businesses are onboarded onto this digital infrastructure.
This dynamic has been highlighted by the International Monetary Fund, which notes that India’s digital
journey demonstrates the value of a design approach centred on shared digital building blocks and
ecosystem-wide innovation, generating outsized benefits as adoption deepens and broadens
18
.
From 5 lakh MSMEs
registered under GST in FY
2017-18 they grew to 1.5
crore in December 2024
16
DPI enabled startups
created over $100
billion in market value
17
9DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Strategic Lessons for the Viksit Bharat Roadmap
The learnings from our DPI journey - forged in both success and challenge - are non-negotiable and must
guide our strategy for a Viksit Bharat.
The design of the initiative must keep the end user and ecosystem in mind.
1. A Problem-First Approach, not a Technology-First One: India’s most successful DPI initiatives—
from Aadhaar to UPI—were built to solve a specific,
large-scale problem. We must avoid the “technology
looking for a problem” trap and instead focus
resources on solving real challenges for citizens.
2. Citizen-centric Design for True Inclusion at Scale:
DPI based solutions must be rooted in existing user
behaviours, offering intuitive shifts that make adoption effortless. Due to India’s vast diversity, this
requires a multi-modal interface approach, patient innovation, smart incentives and a long-term
commitment. The behaviour change cannot be drastic. UPI’s success is a prime example: scanning
a QR code was an accessible shift that led to mass adoption. UPI also enabled feature phone and
voice based solutions.
3. A Minimalist Shared Capability for Maximum Innovation: A digital shared capability should be
a minimal, population scale building block that lowers friction and increases trust. This approach
fosters private sector competition and unlocks long-term value far beyond the initial use case, as
demonstrated by UPI through a minimalist payments protocol.
Aadhaar was designed to curb
welfare leakages, not merely as a
tech solution. Its minimalist design
later enabled innovations like
e-KYC, telecom authentication
10DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat 4. A Compelling Value Proposition is the only Driver of Adoption: A DPI initiative’s success hinges
on creating value for all stakeholders: government, businesses, and citizens. To achieve impact at
scale, it needs to meet market economics and result in business growth for businesses. The JAM
Trinity’s success was a direct result of this multi-stakeholder value creation. Building the technology
“plumbing” without a strong “pull” factor for everyone turns a great idea into a stagnant project.
The design needs to be supported by a strategic and agile implementation.
1. Empowered Institutional Setup is Essential: Successful DPI initiatives require independent
institutions with clear mandate, leadership with ecosystem representation and team with relevant
experience. NPCI is an independent section 8 company with the board including public and private
banks. Initially UIDAI was set up as a special body with the right mix of public and private sector
talent. In fact for the long term setup - UIDAI did consider the model of setting up two entities - a
Regulatory body (like RBI) and an Operating body (like NPCI).
2. Government as an Enabler: The government’s primary role is to create an enabling environment via
policy, incentives and aggregated demand. The objective should be to harness private sector
innovation strength to evolve technology, enable diverse solutions and drive ground adoption. DPI
approach does not mean that all the initiatives including the shared infrastructure needs to be
operated by the government. We have already seen multiple models - Government owned
(Aadhaar, DBT); Government regulated/Public-Private operated shared capabilities (UPI - RBI/
NPCI); Government regulated/Private sector
operated shared capabilities (Account Aggregator -
RBI/Sahamati).
3. Mission-Based Programs Drive Adoption:
To achieve impact, specific outcome-oriented
programs like DBT and PMJDY must be set up to drive creation and adoption of diverse solutions
which leverage existing shared capabilities.
4. A Shift from “Project” to “Product” Mindset: Unlike a traditional project with a start and end, a DPI
initiative is a living “product” that requires continuous evolution based on user needs and feedback.
UPI and GST initiatives evolved needs, solutions and shared infrastructure over a period of time. This
mindset is essential for long-term relevance and sustainability.
UPI’s success lies in being a living
product, not a one-time project, with
continuos innovation and ecosystem
support, making india a global leader in
real-time payments
11DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat DPI Approach: The Engine for a
Developed India by 2047
Chapter 02
Building on the lessons of our DPI journey, this chapter defines the DPI approach and explains why it is the
essential engine for a developed India.
DPI Approach - Core Architecture and Principles
19
DPI is a design approach to enable non-linear socio-economic development at scale by leveraging
technology and market innovation across government, non-profit and private organisations. It
prioritizes on creating a level playing field for players of all sizes to innovate and enable diverse inclusive
solutions and services to citizens. The approach recommends addressing structural challenges including
transaction cost, productivity and market expansion.
The core architecture consists of five key enablers as its strategic architecture:
1. Shared Digital Capabilities: Minimalist population scale building blocks that can power diverse
solutions across sectors. Building blocks can be - running shared systems, open standards,
specifications or protocols.
2. Robust Institutional Setup: To ensure continuity, trust, and effective governance. This
includes a legal and institutional framework to drive adoption; ecosystem facilitation; and
participatory governance.
3. Market Participation: A vibrant ecosystem of public, private players of all sizes enabling
competitive innovation and diverse inclusive citizen-centric solutions. Shared digital capabilities
and policies have to ensure players of all types and sizes can participate.
12DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat 4. Regulatory Sandboxes: Offer safe, rapid experimentation zones to test and refine new ideas while
managing risks.
5. Mission-Mode Programs: Driving adoption and usage to achieve well-defined outcomes and
impact at scale.
The architecture is proposed to be implemented using the following design principles:
1. Problem-First Approach: Start with the real and root needs of individuals and businesses, ensuring
meaningful problems are solved rather than creating technology in search of a use.
2. Compelling Value Proposition: Success requires meeting market economics and creating value
for all key stakeholders (citizens, businesses, and government). The DPI must act as a strong “pull”
factor to drive business growth and user adoption.
3. Evolvable - Small Changes, Big Impact: Design solutions that require minimal shifts in user
behavior—a “+1 change”—to ensure rapid adoption and broad scale. Crucially, a DPI initiative must
be treated not as a fixed project but as a living product that evolves continuously based on user
needs and feedback for its long-term relevance and sustainability.
4. Minimalist, Interoperable Building Blocks: Build lean, reusable components that can power
multiple, diverse solutions across sectors and contexts.
5. Federated and Decentralized: Provide autonomy for different players while ensuring seamless
interoperability and cohesion across the ecosystem.
6. Diverse and Inclusive: Enable user choice and ensure equitable access, so every individual and
business can participate and benefit.
7. Security and Privacy by Design: Embed trust at every level by safeguarding privacy and security
from the start, strengthening public confidence in the system.
These principles guide not only how DPI approach is implemented, but also how the initiative evolves,
ensuring that it remains relevant, equitable, and trusted over time.
The Exponential Advantage: Why DPI is Essential for Viksit Bharat
Achieving the ambitious goal of a developed India by 2047 will not be a story of linear progress. It
requires an engine of exponential, non-linear growth. The DPI approach, with its specific architecture and
principles, is that engine. It is uniquely positioned to drive this transformation by fundamentally changing
how our economy functions.
Economics of Shared Digital Infrastructures - a report by University College London (UCL) Institute
for Innovation and Public Purpose and Bennett Institute for Public Policy at Cambridge University
clearly explains the economic value of DPI. It notes “DPI enables a fundamental shift from fragmented
digitalisation towards shared infrastructure that underpins both public and private services… built with
reusable, modular components that scale across government and society. This approach reduces
duplication, enhances efficiency and creates network effects that drive economic value
20
”.
Activates Competitive Innovation
By building minimalist, shared capabilities, the DPI approach lowers the barrier to entry for innovators. As
seen in UPI, a small startup can compete and beat a large company as it no longer needs to spend years
of time and significant capital. Instead, it can build directly on top of the shared digital infrastructure,
focusing its energy on creating novel services for citizens.
Builds Self-Propelling Ecosystems
DPI approach triggers and sustains a self-propelling ecosystem. By enabling shared capabilities, it
creates a powerful “pull factor” where the value proposition for joining the participating ecosystem is so
compelling that adoption becomes market-driven, not government-mandated. The more participants—
from citizens to private businesses—who join the ecosystem, the greater the opportunities become for
13DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat everyone. This shift from a project with a linear timeline to an expanding ecosystem is a key driver of DPI’s
exponential advantage.
Boosts Total Factor Productivity (TFP) A prosperous nation is defined by its overall economic efficiency,
measured by Total Factor Productivity (TFP). TFP is a
measure of an economy’s ability to generate income from
inputs (labour and capital) —to do more with less. The TFP
growth is primarily driven by five factors - Innovation, market
efficiency, public infrastructure, workforce productivity and
public institutions.
DPI as a design approach enables TFP growth factors to activate productivity-led economic growth.
DPI approach is foundationally rooted in the TFP growth factors. It leverages technology, innovation
and institutional setup to create a level playing field for innovators with the focus to address structural
challenges including transaction cost, productivity and market expansion.
DPI approach allows the entire economy to produce more from the same resources in an accelerated
manner. For more on how DPI approach enables TFP growth, refer to Appendix B.
Ensures Inclusive Growth at Scale
The principles of problem-first, citizen-centric design and inclusivity are not just ideals; they are economic
strategies. By building solutions that are easy to use and relevant to the needs of every citizen, DPI
ensures that the benefits of this non-linear growth are shared widely. This is critical because a developed
nation is defined not just by its wealth but by the equitable distribution of that wealth and opportunity.
The DPI approach, therefore, is the strategic imperative that will enable India to fulfill its vision of a
developed nation by 2047.
By 2030, finance related DPI could
boost low-and middle-income
countries’ combined GDP to $19.2
trillion, up to three years faster
than expected
21
14DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat II. ROADMAP Viksit Bharat by 2047 - India has set itself an audacious goal to become a $30 trillion economy with a per
capita income of $18,000 by 2047. This ambition is not just about economic targets. It is a vision of a truly
inclusive, resilient, and globally competitive society where growth is holistic and beneficial to all.
This vision mandates a collective advancement, where prosperity is shared by all the sections of society,
not just concentrated among the wealthy. This future is characterized by dynamic local economies, and
the entrenched disparity between rural and urban areas being fully removed through shared growth. This
is a vision where innovation is democratized and no citizen is excluded from the progress.
Such an aspiration cannot be met through incremental reforms or linear growth. India must unlock non-
linear, productivity-driven growth while ensuring that the gains of progress are shared inclusively across
all regions and communities.
Two-Phased Approach: DPI 2.0 and DPI 3.0
The country’s journey so far, which can be termed as DPI 1.0, has laid the foundation for citizen welfare
and financial inclusion at population scale. India has, in many ways, already become a digital society. Over
a billion people now use digital identity, hundreds of millions make payments digitally every month, and
welfare delivery, commerce, and citizen services increasingly flow through digital channels.
On this foundation, India must now take the next leap to move from welfare to inclusive prosperity -
become a high-income, high-opportunity, and high-capability society. This requires a phased approach:
The proposed phased approach ensures that a broadbased capable society is established as a foundation
in the next decade, via DPI 2.0, before embarking on the DPI 3.0 journey towards inclusive prosperity.
The subsequent section and chapters in this document focuses on DPI 2.0 - expanding on its scope,
execution strategy and action plan.
DPI@2047: The Roadmap to
Prosperity
Chapter 03
16DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat DPI 2.0 Scope: Target Sectoral Transformations
It is recommended that the DPI 2.0 should focus on areas which have the potential to remove structural
bottlenecks constraining the access and growth of the lower and middle income groups.
Following eight sectoral transformations have been proposed to translate the DPI 2.0 goal of livelihood
empowerment at scale into a measurable roadmap:
Mass Inclusion at scale potential of informal sectors to drive employment and business growth:
1. Scaled Market Expansion for MSMEs through access to market intelligence, widening market
linkages, and simplifying compliance. It aims to help MSMEs formalize and grow-addressing current
challenges of complex compliance processes, limited market visibility and reach. It will help MSMEs
to move beyond survival-driven local trade towards predictable participation in regional and global
value chains - expanding revenues and growth at scale.
2. MSME Jobs finding Local Talent by making them digitally visible with the aim to make job
fulfillment a low cost, high trust transaction. Today, the MSMEs struggle to fulfill their job vacancies
as the local talent is unable to find these jobs due to reliance on traditional informal channels like
intermediaries, posters and word of mouth. By enabling workers access to nearby employment
opportunities, MSMEs will be able to fill positions faster - resulting in growth of local economies.
3. Improved Livelihood for Smallholder Farmers by enabling access to advisory services, market
linkages and credit. This will help farmers to manage unpredictable weather, pest infestations,
improve yields and get better prices for their produce. The aim is to raise income for millions of
smallholder farmers and higher food production; transforming the agriculture sector to tackle three
interconnected problems - poverty, unemployment and food security.
17DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Strengthening Foundations of Human Capability ensuring citizens have skills and well-being necessary
to participate in the economy:
4. Safe Spaces for Learner-Centric Education empowering students, teachers and administrators,
towards realising the NEP’s vision by enabling equitable access to learning materials in local
languages and continuous learning pathways. The aim is to enable upward mobility for learners,
particularly rural and first-generation population, by reducing learning inequities caused by
language barriers, limited access to teachers, mentors and learning resources.
5. Universal Health Coverage to ensure that a single health crisis doesn’t erase a family’s progress
toward financial stability irrespective of their financial status. DPI 2.0 recommends strengthening
the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
Ensuring Systemic Enablers are available to all:
6. Access to Credit for a Billion Indians by maximizing the utilization of monetizable assets for
microcredits. Today, large volumes of individually owned assets remain illiquid or unusable due to
significant transaction cost and friction in loan processing with extensive paperwork. The aim is to
democratise access to credit for small enterprises, farmers, and low-income households to realize
their needs and aspirations.
7. Decentralized Energy Markets enabling effective utilization of renewable sources towards unmet
and growing energy needs. By allowing households and enterprises to produce and sell power, it
reduces energy costs, creates new income streams through local entrepreneurship.
8. Benefits finding Beneficiaries ensuring timely and inclusive access to social benefits for all eligible
citizens. Currently, applicants struggle due to high cost and friction of discovery and application
resulting in eligible beneficiaries left out while a significant portion of benefits remain unutilised. The
aim is to remove the burden of discovery and application significantly and strengthen DBT efforts in
ensuring social benefits achieve its full impact for the target population.
Together, these transformations provide the necessary growth potential across India’s diverse social and
economic contexts to achieve the DPI 2.0 goal.
Delivering these transformations will require a coherent execution strategy for DPI 2.0 as detailed in the
next chapter.
18DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat III. EXECUTION
STRATEGY
FOR DPI 2.0 The window for achieving DPI 2.0 transformations is just a decade. Achieving multi-sector growth at this
scale demands a radical focus on accelerated transformations and the intentional growth of entirely new
digital ecosystems. The DPI approach is necessary but not sufficient, as India currently lacks a sufficient
local ecosystem of entrepreneurs and businesses ready to meet the new digital demand.
To translate the DPI 2.0 into a national reality, we recommend driving the sectoral transformations
through four interconnected critical imperatives with DPI approach as the overall foundation. They
establish the essential conditions—market capacity, decentralized accelerated adoption, and AI
amplification—to achieve the sectoral transformations.
# 1: Aggregate Demand via District Programs
Achieving the compounding effect of DPI 2.0 requires establishing strong, self-sustaining local economies
as the foundation. India’s vastness and extreme contextual diversity—where a single state rivals
a continent and many of our 780+ districts are comparable in scale and diversity to small or mid-size
nations—mean that a centralized approach is insufficient.
Therefore, we recommend executing the DPI roadmap through decentralized, district-level programs.
This ensures that adoption and usage are driven at the grassroots, where needs and contexts vary most.
District-level programs will engage the local ecosystem—local government, users, civil societies, industry
consortiums, local businesses, and tech entrepreneurs—to aggregate socio-economic transaction needs
and enable contextual solutions.
The Four Key Imperatives
Chapter 04
20DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat These programs serve two critical functions:
1. Local Adoption: Linking the DPI roadmap to district-level development goals ensures that
solutions are hyper-localized and contextually relevant. This is essential for converting inclusion into
active usage.
2. Demand Aggregation (Market Pull): These district programs aggregate demand for DPI-based
solutions. This decentralized, predictable demand acts as the single largest incentive for tech
entrepreneurs, providing a secure pipeline of work. This process intentionally drives immediate
adoption and helps grow tech entrepreneurs and MSMEs at the local level.
# 2: Scale Tech Entrepreneurship
One of the key enablers of DPI approach is market participation. However, the current scale of the
tech entrepreneurs in India is insufficient to meet the DPI 2.0 goal. To achieve this, India will need to
dramatically expand its base of technology entrepreneurs who can deliver DPI-aligned products and
services. The goal is to build a distributed innovation engine that ensures every sector and district has
access to capable suppliers, developers, and innovators who can respond to the aggregated demand.
This involves activating the capacity lever through the following actions:
1. Acceleration and Incubation: Leverage existing incubators and accelerators to explicitly focus on
DPI-based solutions. This dedicated support is necessary to rapidly scale up supply capacity to
meet the aggregated demand emanating from district-based programs.
2. Mission-Focused R&D: Direct R&D capacity toward solving the specific, mission-critical problems
of DPI 2.0. Towards this, create innovation clusters by actively directing R&D setups (in academia
and the private sector) to ensure that research outputs are localized, immediately relevant, and fed
directly into the market.
3. Policy and Regulation: Implementing specific policy and regulatory changes to procurement and
standards that favor rapid, competitive growth among these new, local market entrants.
If entrepreneurial innovation is unleashed, India could witness a dynamic shift with the emergence of
one million startups by 2035, from the current 150,000 with an expected annual growth rate of 20%
22
,
many from beyond traditional metropolitan centers. This vibrant entrepreneurial landscape would boost
incomes and service quality across sectors, drive innovation at scale, and help India become an $8 trillion
economy by 2035.
# 3: Leverage AI Momentum
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the most significant productivity engine in human history, offering the
potential to solve complex, deeply rooted systemic problems that inhibit inclusive growth. Enabling the
use of AI through the DPI approach—making it accessible to every entrepreneur and beneficial to every
citizen—can create a momentum of exponential order required to achieve DPI@2047 goals. By making AI
a strategic imperative for accelerated adoption, India ensures its execution strategy is future-proof and
rapidly becomes a global leader in AI use cases.
21DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat # 4: Deploy Cross-Sector Strategic Unlocks
The sectoral transformations outlined in the DPI 2.0 scope face a common set of structural bottlenecks:
fragmented data systems, high cost of trust and transactions, limited market access, knowledge gaps
and language barriers. To address these common systemic problems at speed and scale we recommend
deploying four cross-sectoral strategic unlocks:
As these unlocks are implemented, the different elements of DPI architecture will interact and compound
each other’s value. This collaboration, addressing deep-rooted socio-economic frictions, unlocks entirely
new services and economic opportunities that were previously impossible. This is required not only for
massive inclusive growth in DPI 2.0 but also for the critical transition to widespread prosperity in DPI 3.0.
The Chapter 5 details these four strategic unlocks.
22DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat As described in the previous chapter, one of the key imperatives of execution strategy is deploying four
cross-sector strategic unlocks: Unlocking Data, Democratizing AI, Enhancing Human Capacity, and
Expanding Digital Transactions. When combined together, they can unlock the structural bottlenecks
across sectors and enable DPI 2.0 sectoral transformations.
The following sections describe each unlock in terms of capabilities it should aim to enable, its potential
impact and key implementation considerations for realising the unlock inline with the execution strategy.
# 1: Unlocking Data
Across DPI 2.0 priority sectors such as agriculture, MSMEs, Education, Health — vast amounts of
relevant data already exist. Yet much of it remains siloed, inaccessible and unusable. Enabling use of data
responsibly is essential for timely insights, improving productivity and expanding market opportunities for
individuals, enterprises, and institutions.
Detailing Cross-Sector Strategic
Unlocks
Chapter 05
23DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat What types of data to focus on?
We need to focus on both public and private data sources. The data to unlock can be classified into
three categories:
1. Non-personal data such as climate and weather information, soil data, geospatial layers, local
market prices, or disease surveillance trends. When this data becomes more accessible it supports
better advisories, more accurate forecasting, and stronger planning across sectors like agriculture,
health, energy.
2. Anonymized and Aggregated data, such as indicators derived from GST filings, mobility flows,
district-level learning outcomes, energy demand patterns or aggregated credit patterns. This
helps reveal broader trends without identifying individuals or businesses. These datasets can help
identify market trends-allowing MSMEs to expand, policymakers, regulators, to understand market
behaviour, identify risks and gaps.
3. Personal and Transactional data, when shared securely and with informed consent, enables
individuals and enterprises to prove their identity, skills, eligibility, and performance. Learning
histories, health records, job experience, invoices, repayments and service-delivery footprints can
all help people access opportunities, - jobs, credit, markets, benefits, and services — more easily.
When this data becomes portable and verifiable, it reduces friction, strengthens trust, and allows
citizens and enterprises to carry their records across platforms and providers.
These datasets represent powerful but underutilised resources. Data is the new additional currency
of the digital economy which needs to be harnessed for social good - to create value for individuals,
communities, and small enterprises through secure, governed, and trusted frameworks for
sharing and reuse.
What should it aim to enable?
To unlock data, we recommend focusing on enabling the following:
1. Actionable Insights
Unlocking data should make it possible to access and derive timely and meaningful insights from
diverse sources of both non-personal and aggregated data. Today, such data remains locked within
departmental silos or buried in non-standard formats, making it difficult to analyse or use. Data becomes
more accessible and interoperable when it is machine-readable, ready for AI use, organised through
open specifications, and supported by simple policies that enable safe and consistent exchange across
systems. These approaches help data flow more easily, enabling AI systems and analytics tools to convert
raw information into actionable, localised intelligence. This can improve productivity and expand markets.
2. Ability to Prove Credentials in a Low-cost, High-trust Manner
Unlocking data must strengthen trust in transactions by enabling individuals and enterprises to prove who
they are, what they are eligible for, and what they have —securely and with consent.
Most verification today relies on manual checks, fragmented records, or personal networks, leading to
delays, exclusion, and high transaction costs. When data becomes portable, verifiable, and anchored in
clear safeguards, it reduces transaction cost significantly making additional market segments viable and
allowing the formalization expansion in multiple sectors - benefits reaching more beneficiaries, workers
can prove their skills, and enterprises can demonstrate compliance in a low cost and high trust manner.
Trust can be strengthened through mechanisms such as consented data sharing, real-time online
verification where appropriate (such as eKYC-type checks), offline or asynchronous verification through
verifiable credentials.
For tradable and monetisable assets such as energy units, carbon credits, real estate, gold, or fine art—
tokenization can also be used for secured exchange across systems, expanding access to credit and new
forms of economic opportunity.
24DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Key considerations for implementation
1. Use-case Driven District-level Ecosystems
The value of data is unlocked only when it is used in real, high-value use cases—such as farmer advisories,
market intelligence for MSMEs or teacher support. Districts are the natural unit where citizens, markets,
and government programs intersect. When local institutions, entrepreneurs, and solution providers work
around concrete problems, they create tangible demand for data use. This ensures that data unlock
efforts stay grounded in real-world needs, not in abstract system design.
2. A Sustainable Data Economy
Building a sustainable data economy is a mandatory pre-condition to ensure that value flows to every
stakeholder—data custodians, solution builders, and end users. Following three aspects are critical to
achieve that:
a. Incubate and grow data aggregators - commercial or public-interest entities - with sustainable
business models who will combine datasets, improve quality, and make them usable for
analytics and AI.
b. Activate data custodians - private and public - with relevant incentives to unlock data safely and in a
federated way.
c. Set clear terms of use for all actors regulated by existing or new regulators in the respective sectors.
# 2: Democratizing AI
Artificial Intelligence is transforming what is possible across every sector. It can solve problems of
processing huge volumes of data, reducing knowledge and capacity gaps, making digital systems more
accessible, and automate repetitive cognitive tasks. These capabilities were previously inaccessible
or prohibitively costly at scale. When combined with DPI, AI amplifies the value of data and knowledge
across sectors—helping farmers receive customised crop advice, enabling MSMEs to navigate markets,
supporting teachers and learners and improving access to social benefits.
As highlighted by Nandan Nilekani in AI will change India, and India will change AI, in The Economist,
2025
23
, India’s greatest contribution to the world may come from developing AI systems that work at
population scale, grounded in local languages, institutional trust, and real-world use cases.
What should it aim to enable?
To realise the potential of AI, we recommend focusing on enabling the following:
1. Predictive Intelligence for Insights and Risk Management
India’s sectors have long operated mostly in a reactive mode. AI can change this. It can analyse patterns
across different datasets to surface early signals—allowing people and institutions to act in advance.
For example, an MSME using anonymised district-level transaction trends can anticipate a rise in local
demand two weeks in advance, and increase production to meet the demand. Such anticipatory insights
shift systems from reacting to events toward making timely decisions that enable growth, reduce risk and
improve outcomes.
2. Personalised Guidance - Always Available for Citizens
While knowledge exists across sectors, people often struggle to get timely help when making everyday
decisions—whether it is a farmer choosing the right input, a parent navigating school admissions, a worker
interpreting a job requirement, or a small merchant trying to comply with a new rule. Limitation of human
capacity, capability and access to experts is a significant bottleneck for a large population.
AI must become a first-response assistant to help people make better decisions in their specific context.
A farmer asking, “What should I do about this pest?”, a shop owner wondering “What’s the demand for
my product next month?”, or a teacher unsure about a new classroom procedure - should all get clear,
localised contextualized trusted guidance instantly.
25DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat This requires AI systems that understand local data, local language, and local knowledge—bringing
expert support to people who have never had access to specialists.
3. Language AI to Bridge Digital and Language Barriers
Irrespective of the level of language and digital literacy - every Indian is comfortable with verbal
engagement in their language. AI has the potential to enable voice as a de facto interface for every Indian
to engage with technology. This is a paradigm shift for the digital economy making technology to work for
everyone, inclusive by design. Enabling conversations built on translation, speech-to-text, text-to-speech,
and summarisation—must make digital systems intuitive and inclusive, enabling users with varying literacy
levels to access services and information effortlessly. Shared Language AI capabilities such as voice,
translation and conversational interfaces, tailored to Indian languages must be widely available so that
public institutions and innovators can integrate them into services.
Key considerations for implementation
While AI has made significant progress, globally only 10-30% of AI based POCs move successfully into
production
24
with a few handful large tech organizations shaping the AI. We must address structural
barriers such as access to affordable compute, quality data sets, India specific models and safety
frameworks for AI to reach every citizen and sector.
1. Open Data for Training
AI systems can deliver context-aware outcomes only when they are trained on high-quality,
representative datasets. Creating such training datasets is therefore fundamental for creating India
specific AI models by a diverse set of tech players. This requires the enabling of sourcing, contribution and
curation of open training datasets, by both public institutions and private ecosystem players, covering
priority domains and populations.
2. Affordable Compute
Affordable and predictable access to compute is essential for AI adoption, especially for researchers,
small innovators and public institutions. India’s IndiaAI Mission is already working towards this. Builders
need access to the right kind of AI compute along with simple onboarding, affordable pricing, and
transparent service levels. Compute becomes truly democratised when these resources are easy
to access, fit for purpose, and available for public-interest different sizes of workloads, not only for
large actors.
3. AI Models for Indian Context
India needs AI models that understand its languages, cultural and domain contexts. This requires a
strategic focus on the scaling of tech entrepreneurship imperative described in the execution strategy
with three mutually reinforcing elements:
• Expanding India’s AI entrepreneurship base: India must significantly grow its pool of AI builders
and startups capable of delivering India-specific models and tools. These entrepreneurs form the
distributed innovation engine needed to respond to DPI-aligned demand emerging from districts
and sectors. India’s AI mission is already taking steps in this direction by encouraging local model
development.
• Demand driven AI Research: Aggregated demand emerging from states and districts should drive
the research priorities. Creating innovation clusters by actively directing R&D setups (in academia
and the private sector) ensure that research outputs address these priorities. The research outputs
can then flow into entrepreneurial ecosystems, where they are translated into deployable solutions.
• Strategic engagement with global AI players: Though leading global AI companies have large
investments, AI talent and advanced AI capabilities, they are looking for the use cases to solve
in order to become commercially viable. Aggregated demand via DPI 2.0, across agriculture,
health, education, and MSMEs, provides an unique opportunity for India to steer global players
26DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat to co-develop models “in India, for India,” working alongside domestic startups and academic
institutions. The Aadhaar program did similar market shaping in the biometric space.
4. Tools and Standards for Safe AI
As AI systems enter high-stakes domains, trust and safety become highly critical. Developers and
institutions need tools for evaluation, red-teaming, bias assessment, and monitoring. Developing
frameworks, standards and tools for transparent evaluation, and simple operational guidelines
help institutions deploy AI responsibly without adding heavy compliance burdens. This ensures AI
deployments are trustworthy, transparent, and aligned with public values.
5. Strengthening AI talent
AI transformation depends on strengthening talent across three types of stakeholders: builders who
create AI solutions, government officials who adopt and apply them, and policymakers who set the
guardrails for safe and effective use.
Democratizing AI requires practical skilling for each of the stakeholder groups for effective solutioning,
usage as well as governance.
# 3: Enhancing Human Capacity
Across sectors, people often struggle to figure out the answer to their question from existing data and
knowledge —whether a teacher preparing for a class, a student trying to grasp a concept, a farmer trying
to figure out when to sow seeds, or a small business owner handling compliance. Unfortunately availability
and access to experts and guides is also limited, especially for folks with limited financial means.
Enhancing human capacity at scale means ensuring that people receive contextual guidance when they
need it and ongoing learning that helps them build skills over time, making capacity building inclusive
and lifetime.
What should it aim to enable?
1. Actionable, Contextual Knowledge at the Moment of Need
Knowledge should be easy to discover, tailored to a person’s situation, and simplified into steps they can
apply immediately—in the language and format they understand.
For example, a government school teacher who wants to teach a new chapter receives an instant, simple
explanation of the learning objective, a short demonstration video, and two recommended activities
tailored to her grade and language—right when she needs them.
2. Continuous Learning and Upskilling through Real-time Guidance
People should be able to strengthen their skills and confidence while performing their day-to-day roles.
This means that teachers can refine their instruction practices over time, agricultural field functionaries
can better diagnose crop issues —all through timely nudges, clarifications, and feedback that help them
improve with each task. This progression must be enabled in the languages and modalities that users are
most comfortable with, so that learning happens naturally and continuously.
Key considerations for implementation
1. Use of AI to Deliver Knowledge in a Contextual, Simple and Usable Form
This builds on the broader democratization of AI described in the previous section, which makes AI
capabilities accessible for use across sectors. AI plays a catalytic role in enhancing human capacity as it
can convert institutional knowledge into actionable steps with personalised explanations. For example,
a shopkeeper filing a GST return can ask the AI based assistant, “What do I do next?” and receive a clear,
context-specific sequence of steps instead of navigating long manuals—just as teachers and students
receive subject-specific guidance in real time.
27DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat 2. A Well-governed Ecosystem of Diverse, Trusted Knowledge Resources
Enhancing human capacity requires a reliable pool of accountable knowledge—both existing and newly
created—that can be easily discovered, reused, and adapted across contexts. This can include curated
policies, manuals, demonstrations, explainers, and multimedia learning content. When these resources are
made discoverable, up-to-date, and published in reusable formats, they become accessible for use by
people and for powering AI-based guidance.
For example, agriculture departments and KVKs may publish pest advisories, dosage recommendations,
and demonstration videos in reusable formats. A farmer or extension worker can instantly access a short
video on identifying a new pest outbreak along with the recommended action—either directly or via an
AI assistant.
# 4: Expanding Digital Transactions
Across India’s local economies, a large share of everyday socio-economic transactions—finding work,
accessing services, selling produce or applying for benefits—remain informal and not digitally enabled.
These interactions often rely on personal networks, intermediaries, paper records, or closed platforms,
making them difficult to discover, verify, or scale. This creates a large hidden economy - estimated at
20–30% of national GDP
25
.
As a result, transaction costs remain high, market access is limited, and growth is constrained. Small
enterprises and informal actors are unable to participate in larger value chains, reducing productivity and
preventing economic activity from scaling.
While other strategic unlocks reduce the cost, trust, and usability of digital interactions—through
verified data, AI-enabled interfaces, and consent-based systems—people and organisations must be
able to participate digitally in the first place. This foundational constraint is addressed here by enabling
transactions to scale across a wider and more diverse set of participants, making formalisation faster,
easier, and more inclusive. At population scale, this expansion of digital transactions is critical to achieving
the non-linear growth envisioned under DPI 2.0.
What should it aim to enable?
1. Unbundling Demand and Supply through Open Networks
Today, often demand (people seeking work, services, goods, or benefits) and supply (providers, workers,
institutions) are tightly bundled within closed platforms. These platforms are responsible for end-to-end
transactions—discovery, coordination, and fulfilment—making participation costly and limiting scale. As
a result, only large providers can participate meaningfully, while small providers face restricted market
access. Consumers, in turn, are limited to the options offered within a single platform.
Expanding digital transactions requires unbundling demand and supply through a network-based
approach. Interoperable transaction networks allow demand and supply to be broadcast, discovered, and
matched across multiple platforms and channels. Providers can reach demand through multiple channels,
and consumers can discover and engage with providers through different interfaces—while retaining
choice over how and where interactions occur.
Shift from platform-centric models to network-enabled participation, allows to:
• Expand market access at significantly lower cost.
• Reduce the cost of doing business by avoiding repeated integrations and intermediaries.
• Combine different types of offers—jobs, services, credit, logistics, benefits—to serve diverse and
long-tail needs more inclusively.
28DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat 2. Digital Enablement of Physical Entities
For these network-enabled transactions to be inclusive at scale, the underlying physical entities—
individuals, MSMEs, cooperatives, panchayats, service providers—must be digitally enabled to participate.
This means ability to broadcast who they are, what they offer, what they seek in a credible way.
When entities are digitally enabled, they can participate in multiple platforms and programs without
repeated onboarding or manual verification. This becomes a prerequisite for transacting digitally—
especially for small and informal actors who are otherwise excluded due to lack of documentation
or visibility.
Key considerations for implementation
1. Enable Ecosystem-led Network Operation
Unbundling demand and supply through open networks requires ecosystem-led network operation,
where shared transaction networks are designed, governed, and operated by dedicated ecosystem
players rather than controlled by any single platform or market participant.
Such network operation provides common rails for broadcasting, discovering, and engaging across
platforms, while ensuring open access, interoperability, and non-discriminatory participation. This
approach reduces fragmentation, lowers integration costs, and prevents gatekeeping—while still allowing
competition and innovation at the application layer.
2. Drive District-level Digital Enablement of Entities
Transaction networks only succeed when a critical mass of local entities can participate meaningfully. This
requires focused district-level initiatives to digitally enable individuals and organisations who form the
backbone of local economies.
Districts are the natural unit where local markets, livelihoods, and public programs intersect, making them
the most effective level for driving adoption at scale. Digital enablement is driven by actors who verify
entities, issue credentials, onboard them onto networks, and support initial participation and activation —
functions that may be performed by local governments, NGOs, industry bodies, or market players.
29DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat This section outlines DPI 2.0 sectoral transformations and offers recommendations for leveraging
strategic unlocks to achieve them. These are not detailed implementation blueprints, but strategic
directions towards actioning the transformations.
# 1: Scaled Market Expansion for MSMEs
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of India’s economy, comprising 6.3
crore enterprises, contributing 30% to GDP, over 40% to exports
26
,
and employing around 110 million
people
27
. Yet, MSMEs constrained by complex compliance processes, limited access to market and credit,
are unable to grow and are discouraged to formalize.
What is the transformation?
DPI 2.0 recommends enabling MSMEs to move from fragmented, hyper-local markets to scaled
market expansion and growth. By enabling access to market intelligence, widening market linkages,
and simplifying compliance, DPI 2.0 can help at least 10 million enterprises to grow and fuel job
creation as well
28
.
By reducing information asymmetry, compliance and transaction friction, MSMEs can move beyond
survival-driven local trade towards predictable participation in regional and global value chains—
strengthening competitiveness, improving productivity, and unlocking non-linear growth.
What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
1. AI-Driven Market Intelligence: By combining enterprise data, trade flows, and consumer trends,
MSMEs can access real-time insight into demand patterns, pricing, and buyer discovery. AI-enabled
assistants help entrepreneurs identify opportunities, benchmark performance, and make informed
decisions in local languages. (Unlocking Data + Democratizing AI + Enhancing Human Capacity)
2. Market expansion through Digital Networks: Open, interoperable transaction networks allow digitally
enabled MSMEs to be discovered across demand channels, logistics platforms, procurement systems,
and export channels—without being locked into a single platform or limited by physical constraints of
Sectoral Transformations: Strategic
Unlocks in Action
Chapter 06
30DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat customer reach. This dramatically lowers entry barriers and enables even micro-enterprises to reach
wider markets. (Expanding Digital Transactions Unlock)
3. Digital Compliance Enablement: AI-assisted compliance systems simplify filings, auto-generate
reports, and validate submissions using verified enterprise data and digital credentials. This reduces
compliance burdens, encourages formalisation, and builds a verifiable enterprise profile. (Unlocking Data
+ Democratizing AI + Enhancing Human Capacity)
# 2: MSME Jobs Finding Local Talent
India’s blue and grey collar labour market remains highly fragmented and informal. Most hiring is mediated
through informal channels — local contractors, intermediaries or word-of-mouth. While many MSMEs
cite manpower unavailability and skill shortages as major constraints to growth, many local job seekers
are unaware of the unfilled opportunities
29
. In addition, MSMEs face high costs often over `1,000 per
lead and long lead times that can stretch two weeks or more per lead to find qualified candidates. Job
seekers missing out on local opportunities are forced to migrate or settle for jobs that do not match their
aspirations.
What is the transformation?
The MSME jobs market can be largely categorised as low income, high job volume with high churn rate. It
requires a transformative approach which is grounded in reducing the transaction access friction and cost
significantly.
The transformation focuses on making local jobs, job seekers & their skills digitally visible, comparable,
and matchable in a credible way through trusted local employment digital networks. The aim is to make
job discovery and fulfillment significantly a low cost transaction. This expands access to nearby and
appropriate work for job seekers, and strengthens local economies.
What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
1. Digitally Enabled Job Seekers: Enabling a job seeker to broadcast who they are, their skills, certifications,
work history and what they are seeking in a credible way as a “blue dot”. This creates “Know Your Applicant”
(KYA) capability for employers reducing manual verification, and cost of trust. (Unlocking Data + Expanding
Digital Transactions Unlock)
2. Digitally Enabled MSMEs: Enabling MSMEs to broadcast who they are, what the job opportunities are,
required skills, wages, and location. (Unlocking Data + Expanding Digital Transactions Unlock)
3. Digital Employment Networks: Federated local digital employment networks connecting digitally
enabled MSMEs and job seekers —enabling seamless job discovery and fulfillment. These networks ensure
that skills supply and demand are visible and actionable at the local level. (Unlocking Data + Expanding
Digital Transactions Unlock)
31DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat 4. Vernacular AI-powered Job Assistants: AI assistants help job seekers to apply for jobs easily, in their
own language and through voice assistance. They also help MSMEs to reduce the cost of evaluating and
filtering suitable candidates for their job fulfillment. (Democratizing AI + Enhancing Human Capacity)
# 3: Improved Livelihood for Smallholder Farmers
Agriculture and its allied sectors remain the backbone of rural livelihoods in India, with nearly 70% of rural
households primarily depending on them for income. India’s agricultural sector employs over 45% of
the workforce, yet contributed only about 18%
30
to the GDP (in 2023-24). Over 85% smallholder farmers
continue to operate at subsistence levels
31
, with a meagre average monthly income of `13,661, and only
`4,476
32
coming directly from agriculture.
These gaps exist because farmers operate in an environment marked by fragmented information, volatile
weather, limited access to market and credit, and difficulty obtaining timely benefits, leading to low-yield
and lower price realization.
What is the transformation?
The transformation enables farmers to increase their yield and access to the better price for their
produce. It aims to achieve it by enabling timely climate and farming advisories in their context to manage
weather risks, along with better access to markets—so they can discover fair prices, reliable buyers, and
efficient storage and logistics. In addition, enabling easy access to credit and timely benefits for their
working capital needs.
32DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
1. Agriculture Registries: Enabling agriculture related digital registries - including farmer information,
land records, soil data enables precision advisory, insurance, and credit services. (Unlocking Data +
Expanding Digital Transactions)
2. AI-Powered Advisory Assistants: AI assistants can provide contextualized, voice-based guidance on
crop management, weather risks, and pest outbreaks. They can also help farmers access loans, insurance,
and welfare schemes in their own language—turning complex information into personalized, actionable
advice at the moment of need. (Democratizing AI + Enhancing Human Capacity)
3. Digital Networks for Agri Services: Interoperable digital networks connect farmers directly with
buyers, input suppliers, logistics providers, finance services and agri-tech innovators. These networks
enable price realization, reduce dependence on intermediaries, and enable transparent, traceable
transactions. (Expanding Digital Transactions)
4. Digital Credit Access: Verified digital farmer profiles linking land, crop cycles, and transaction history
enable collateral-light lending, faster claim settlement, and more accurate credit assessments. This
expands financial inclusion enabling farmers to working capital. (Unlocking Data + Expanding Digital
Transactions)
# 4: Decentralized Energy Markets
India’s energy demand is already three times the global average
33
.The country remains heavily dependent
on imported fossil fuels, leaving it vulnerable to price shocks and supply disruptions. Without adequate
renewable backup, rising power cuts are expected by 2027
34
. At the same time, India has a natural
advantage: nearly 300 sunny days a year
35
and strong policy momentum through initiatives such as the
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
Yet, despite rapid rooftop solar adoption, distributed energy remains underutilised. Households and small
enterprises lack real-time visibility into generation and consumption, face limited mechanisms to monetise
surplus power, and depend on fragmented systems that do not support seamless energy transactions. As
a result, decentralised energy assets exist—but do not yet function as a market.
33DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat What is the transformation?
DPI 2.0 can transform India’s energy landscape by creating a trusted, digital ecosystem where energy
assets and services are visible, verifiable, and tradable. This will enable decentralised energy markets
where households and enterprises can produce, store, and sell renewable power directly to verified
buyers such as EV charging stations, small businesses and individuals through trusted transactions —
much like how UPI democratized payments.
What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
• Tokenisation of Energy Assets: Intangible assets such as rooftop solar, battery storage and carbon
credits are converted into digital tokens that can be traded or exchanged - allowing individuals and
enterprises to monetise surplus energy and green assets. (Unlocking Data)
• Digital Energy Networks: Trusted, interoperable digital networks match local energy supply and
demand in real time. They allow certified producers to sell surplus power directly to the verified
buyers. (Expanding Digital Transactions)
# 5: Access to Credit for a Billion Indians
As of 2023 only 20% of MSMEs had access to formal credit
36
, and over half of the urban poor still rely on
informal moneylenders
37
.
The Account Aggregator (AA) framework
38
initiative is already unlocking a new
wave of fintech innovation to disburse micro-loans using alternative data from UPI and GSTN.
34DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat However large volumes of monetizable individually owned assets remain illiquid and unusable for formal
credit, leaving entrepreneurial capacity underutilised. There is an opportunity to unlock these assets by
enabling multiple microcredits as well as addressing significant friction in loan processing due to rigid
collateral requirements, extensive paperwork, and static risk assessments, as a result.
What is the transformation?
DPI 2.0 focuses on making individual owned assets productive by enabling access to multiple
microcredits maximizing the utilization of asset value as a collateral, in a low friction manner.
It recommends achieving this by digitally representing monetizable assets - such as land holdings,
invoices, receivables, carbon credits, and transaction histories - which can be fractionally claimed, and
securely shared, allowing even small or partial assets to support access to credit.
This transformation democratises access to credit for small enterprises, farmers, and low-income
households—reducing dependence on informal lenders, lowering the cost of capital, and unlocking new
pathways for livelihoods, growth, and innovation.
What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
• Financial Ledgers of Tokens: Monetizable assets—such as land records, invoices, receivables,
carbon credits, or verified transaction histories—can be digitally represented and transacted on
shared financial ledgers that record assets, money, and obligations together. This enables assets
to be divisible, portable, and reusable across financial services, allowing lenders to assess value,
manage risk, and extend credit even for small ticket sizes. (Unlocking Data)
• Open Ledger Protocols and Specifications: Open ledger protocols and specifications enable
seamless interoperability across a network of ledgers and financial service providers. They ensure
the integrity and consistency of transactions, providing finality that once a transaction, such as an
asset transfer, is completed, it is secure and irreversible. (Expanding Digital Transactions)
35DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat # 6: Safe Spaces for Learner-Centric Education
Education is central to achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047, fueling human capacity, productivity, and social
mobility, especially for lower-income groups striving for better livelihoods. India’s education system
serves close to 250 million school students
39
and 40 million higher education learners across diverse
geographies and socio-economic backgrounds
40
. Despite near-universal enrollment, foundational
learning outcomes remain low — with the 2022 ASER survey showing that only 42% of Class V students
can read a Class II text
41
.
Learning inequities persist due to language barriers, uneven teacher capacity and limited access to locally
relevant learning resources. These structural gaps hinder productivity, upward mobility, and lifelong
learning opportunities, particularly for rural and first-generation learners. Furthermore, traditional one-
size-fits-all approaches and psychological barriers like fear of failure prevent many learners from reaching
their full potential.
What is the transformation?
DPI 2.0 helps realize the NEP’s aim to strengthen learner-centric education by empowering students,
teachers as well as administrators. This can be achieved through equitable access to quality learning
materials in local languages, fostering judgement-free safe spaces for continuous personalized learning
that adapt to each student’s unique needs and strengths and learn at their own pace without fear of
falling behind. Teachers can deliver truly individualized support, improving learning outcomes across
diverse classrooms. Administrators create better interventions through actionable insights using various
data sources.
36DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
1. Education Resources Network: Enable discoverability and reuse of verified educational resources
across boards, states, and providers through a federated infrastructure — linking digital content
repositories, educational data, and institutional registries to promote interoperability and evidence-based
decision-making. (Unlocking Data, Expanding Digital Transactions)
2. AI-Powered Learning Assistants: Provide contextual, curriculum-aligned, and language-inclusive learning
and insights to students, teachers and administrators. These assistants deliver personalized explanations,
practice exercises, feedback loops and actionability using insights. (Enhancing Human Capacity)
3. Verifiable Learning Credentials: Enable seamless recognition of learning across institutions through
portable, verifiable digital credentials for courses, skills, and assessments. These credentials strengthen
student and teacher mobility. (Unlocking Data)
# 7: Universal Health Coverage
Nearly 30% of India’s population—the “missing middle”—remains uninsured
42
facing a very high risk of
ruining the financial wellbeing of the family due to a health incident. And the same risk is faced even by
millions of insured families due to high out-of-pocket expenditure, 39.4% of total health spending
43
.
What is the transformation?
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) means all people have access to the full range of quality health services
they need, when and where they need them, without suffering financial hardship. UHC protects the
economic gains of DPI 2.0, ensuring that a single health crisis doesn’t erase a family’s progress toward
financial stability.
UHC has many aspects including - coverage of a full continuum of essential health services throughout a
person’s life for every citizen; implementation design of insurance to truly promote preventive care; robust
health care service provider network.
The Ayushman Bharat Mission with a goal to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has made
significant progress so far. It is important to strengthen and accelerate the mission further to achieve the
UHC by 2030.
We recommend DPI 2.0 to focus on strengthening and fast-tracking the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
(ABDM) which is already working towards developing digital health infrastructure for the country.
37DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
ABDM is already enabling following:
• Digital Healthcare Registries: Digital healthcare registries for professionals and facilities.
(Unlocking Data)
• Digital Health Records: Creation of individual health records linked with digital health ID - ABHA
Number. (Unlocking Data)
• Digital Health Networks: Networks for citizens to discover and access health service providers,
shared digital health records and settle insurance claims. (Expanding Digital Transactions)
DPI 2.0 strategic unlocks can further strengthen the ABDM mission with following:
• Diagnostic AI Assistants: AI can help process large amounts of health data to help doctors for early
detection and better diagnostics for patients. (Data Unlock, Democratizing AI)
• Healthcare Worker AI Assistants: Equip ASHAs and primary care providers with AI-enabled tools
for assessment and clinical guidance and engagement in regional languages. (Democratizing AI,
Enhancing Human Capacity)
• AI-Powered Public Health Management: Anonymized health data can be analyzed by AI systems
to generate insights that help disease surveillance & early detection of outbreaks. (Data Unlock,
Democratizing AI)
ABDM can also consider aggregating demand via district programs as suggested by DPI 2.0 Execution
Strategy to enable its adoption and usage at the grassroots level.
# 8: Benefits finding Beneficiaries
As India advances toward Viksit Bharat, social protection must evolve into a proactive enabler of
aspiration and upward mobility. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has transformed the last-mile welfare
delivery by digitizing fund transfers and reducing leakages.
Now we have to focus on improving the discovery and application. Citizens struggle to discover
relevant schemes, prove eligibility, and navigate complex, paper-heavy procedures—often in unfamiliar
languages—creating friction and delay. A significant portion of India’s scholarship budget remains
unutilised, amounting to thousands of crores.
What is the transformation?
To enable end to end benefit realization process, it requires a transformative approach which is grounded
in reducing the transaction access friction and cost significantly. This transformation focuses on making
potential beneficiaries digitally visible, comparable, and matchable in a credible way through trusted
digital beneficiary networks. It would also enable automatic enrollment and pre-filling applications,
38DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat minimizing the effort and burden on citizens. The aim is to make benefits discovery and fulfillment
significantly a low cost transaction.
What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
1. Digitally Enabled Beneficiaries: Enabling a potential beneficiary to broadcast who they are, their
certifications and what they are seeking in a credible way as a “blue dot”. This creates “Know Your
Applicant” (KYA) capability for benefit providers reducing manual verification, and cost of trust.
(Unlocking Data + Expanding Digital Transactions Unlock)
2. Digitally Enabled Benefit Providers: Enabling benefit providers to broadcast who they are, what the
benefits are, required qualifications etc. (Unlocking Data + Expanding Digital Transactions Unlock)
3. Digital Beneficiary Networks: Federated local digital beneficiary networks connecting digitally
enabled benefit providers and potential beneficiaries —enabling seamless benefit discovery and
fulfillment. (Unlocking Data + Expanding Digital Transactions Unlock)
4. Vernacular AI-powered Benefit Assistants: AI assistants help beneficiaries to apply for benefits easily,
in their own language and through voice assistance. They also help benefit providers to reduce the cost
of evaluating and filtering suitable candidates eligible for their benefits. (Democratizing AI + Enhancing
Human Capacity)
39DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat IV. CALL TO
ACTION Recommended Action Plan for DPI 2.0
Chapter 07
India stands at a once-in-a-generation inflection point. India’s DPI initiatives are already contributing
nearly 1% of GDP and could reach 4% by 2030
44
.
Actioning DPI 2.0 as articulated in the Execution Strategy
(Chapters 4-6) on an immediate basis is critical to get the momentum going for the journey to Viksit
Bharat. We recommend following four actions to achieve that:
#1: Decentralized State-led execution
DPI 2.0 is best advanced through decentralised state led initiatives with Government of India and
NITI Aayog acting as catalysts. As mentioned earlier, India is vast with extreme diversity—where a
single state rivals a continent and our districts comparable to small or mid-size nations. Achieving the
compounding impact envisioned under DPI 2.0 requires developing strong, self-sustaining local
economies keeping their local context in mind. States are best placed to lead the initiative to drive local
growth through district programs.
While ownership and agency of implementation remain with the states, Government of India and
NITI Aayog have an important role to play as a catalyst and enabler - in terms of funding, guidance,
coordination, enabling state support through ecosystem collaboration and co-learning.
#2: Adopt Collaborative 2-year Iterative cycles of Transformations
2-year Iterative cycles of collaboration to drive Sectoral Transformations are recommended to be
executed. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) as a design approach is still unevenly understood across
States, Union Territories and the ecosystem. As States embark on the uncharted journey of DPI 2.0
sectoral transformations, it is important to create the momentum in an iterative way so that we can figure
out exemplar pathways - solutions and replicable models - and build ecosystem capacity before focusing
on scaling them across states.
We recommend 2-year iterative cycles, with each cycle focusing on a specific set of sectoral
transformations. Year 1 of each cycle will focus on working with few champion States/UTs on lighthouse
pilot implementations for selected transformations to figure out exemplar pathways and demonstrate
impact. Year 2 can focus on building ecosystem capacity and scaling the adoption of exemplar pathways
figured out in year 1 across states. A curated set of DPI expert organizations will also be engaged who
can guide the states in their sector specific transformation journeys. The 2-year iterative cycles can have
some overlap.
This approach creates an expanding ecosystem network of states, civil society organisations, and market
players to collaborate enabling peer learning, shared innovation, and faster adoption.
42DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat #3 First cycle (2026-2027) focus on MSME and Agriculture
The success of the first cycle of 2-year is critical to set up the momentum. It will require extra attention and
agility to learn and evolve the execution. Following is the suggested design for 2026-2027 (first cycle) plan:
Objective & Scope
• Focus on 3 sectoral transformations in MSME and Agriculture as they have the biggest potential of
scale impact on livelihood.
• For 2026 lighthouse pilot implementations - target to work with 6 Champion States/UTs with 2 each
for 3 sectoral transformations. Each state identifies 1-2 districts for pilot.
• Try to have at least one champion state/UT from each of the 5 regions - north, south, east, west and
north-east India.
• Build institutional and implementation capacity within States/UTs and private sector ecosystem
including understanding of DPI approach, sectoral transformation solutions.
• Strengthen India’s global leadership on DPI approach by enabling global collaboration and visibility
for State-led transformations.
Indicative Milestones
• State workshops and Shortlisting of Champion States/UTs for pilots
• Pilots design and Implementation readiness by Champion States
• Pilots design and Implementation readiness by Champion States
• State Pilots rollout
• Demonstrated impact in pilot districts with at least one replicable exemplar path-
way emerging for each sector transformation
• MSME & Agriculture transformation implementation playbooks. It will include use
cases, solution architectures, operating & replicable models
• State workshops and shortlisting of states to scale transformations
• Implementation capacity building with States/UTs and private sector
• Design and Implementation readiness by shortlisted States
• State rollouts
• 5+ States/UTs rollouts for proven transformations from 2026
Institutional Setup
We recommend MeitY and NITI Aayog constitute and institutionally setup following to drive overall
program, as a catalyst and enabler, starting with 2026-2027:
a. A team to orchestrate and coordinate the overall execution in close coordination with participating
States/UTs.
b. An expert advisory group, comprising DPI, AI, and sectoral experts from government, civil society,
and the market, who will provide overall strategic guidance to the initiative.
c. A curated set of DPI expert organizations who can support and guide the states during their journey
on specific sectoral transformations.
d. Engaging global partners - a set of global development and philanthropic institutions as
collaborators and funders in State-led transformations.
e. An Impact Award program to incentivise 2026 and 2027 state outcomes.
f. Consider enabling pilot delivery capacity to states for program & solution design and technical
implementation to expedite state-led lighthouse pilots.
43DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat #4 A neutral ecosystem body for global engagement is proposed
The engagement of global partners as collaborators in State-led transformations as per 2026-27
plan will be important to figure out a structured global engagement model. India should consider
establishing a globally focused initiative in 2027 within a neutral body in collaboration with global partners
that will spearhead India’s global engagement on DPI — showcasing scalable models, supporting country
cohorts for implementation, and fostering a global community of collaboration on DPI and AI for public
good. This will reinforce India’s leadership in shaping an open, inclusive, and interoperable digital future. A
global DPI event can be planned for the launch of this initiative.
The Mission Ahead: A Future of Shared Prosperity
Achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047 is more than an aspiration; it is a strategic imperative that rests on our
ability to transform the economy into a high-productivity engine. India has already proven that the DPI
approach can deliver results at population scale, bringing hundreds of millions into the digital fold in
record time. By moving from foundational access to livelihood-led growth, we can ensure that prosperity
is not just a top-down vision, but a grassroots reality. The mission now is to act with speed and synergy—
leveraging our proven digital leadership to secure India’s place as a global benchmark for inclusive, non-
linear growth.
44DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat V. Appendices Appendix A: Case Studies of
India’s DPI Successes
India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) journey has emerged as a cornerstone for scalable, inclusive, and
efficient development. By enabling market innovation using shared digital rails across identity, payments,
data sharing, and public service delivery, India has driven deep-rooted transformation across sectors. The
appendix shares case studies of key DPI initiatives to explain the purpose, design and key success factors.
They are intended to be used as reference material to complement the strategic learnings outlined
in Chapter 1.
Case Study: Aadhaar
Context and Problem
Before Aadhaar, India’s welfare delivery systems suffered from large-scale leakages and exclusion.
Beneficiary identification relied on fragmented, paper-based records maintained by multiple
departments, often at local levels. These systems made it difficult to reliably distinguish genuine
beneficiaries from duplicate or “ghost” identities created through outdated records, migration, or weak
verification processes.
In addition, schemes, benefits were routed through intermediaries, creating leakages through diversion
during disbursement. Collecting a pension or a food subsidy often required a citizen to travel long
distances to a government office, navigate complex paperwork, and often pay a bribe to an intermediary.
For a daily wage laborer, this process frequently meant losing a full day’s wages just to collect a fraction of
their entitlement.
The Initiative and Outcomes
Aadhaar Initiative was set up to address this structural problem by providing a unique, verifiable digital
identity to every resident. By assigning a single Aadhaar number linked to biometric and demographic
attributes, the system enabled high-certainty identification at the individual level, independent of
location, paperwork, or local records.
As Aadhaar was integrated into welfare delivery, it enabled large-scale deduplication of beneficiary
databases and high-confidence verification at the point of service. This laid the foundation for Direct
Benefit Transfers (DBT), allowing benefits to be transferred directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts
without intermediaries.
DBT’s success was not driven by identity alone. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)—a
mission to drive inclusive financial inclusion—leveraged Aadhaar-based e-KYC and a zero-balance
accounts policy to rapidly expand access to banking. This enabled India to achieve within a decade a level
of financial inclusion that earlier projections had estimated would take several decades. Bank account
ownership surged from around 25% to over 80%.
In parallel, the Department of Telecommunications’ approval of Aadhaar-based e-KYC in 2016
transformed the telecom sector. This reduced customer acquisition costs by 90%, making it economically
viable for operators to scale. Consequently, mobile ownership reached 85% by 2025, turning the mobile
into a primary gateway for financial services.
Together, Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar, and mobile connectivity—the JAM Trinity—formed the backbone
of India’s digital transformation. Leveraging this trio, the DBT mission created the world’s largest
government-to-person (G2P) payment infrastructure, significantly plugging social benefit leakages
Appendices
46DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat while reducing access costs for beneficiaries. The impact has been substantial. Aadhaar-enabled DBT
has facilitated the direct transfer of subsidies and entitlements exceeding ₹35 lakh crore (over USD 450
billion) to beneficiaries. By eliminating duplicate and ineligible beneficiaries and reducing diversion during
disbursement, the system has generated savings of over ₹2.2 lakh crore (approximately USD 27 billion).
Because of its minimal design, Aadhaar enabled the “e-KYC” (Electronic Know Your Customer) revolution
beyond welfare. What used to take days of paperwork—opening a bank account or getting a SIM card—
could now be done in seconds, lowering customer acquisition costs for businesses by nearly 90%.
How the DPI Approach Enabled It
a. Programmatic Drive
Aadhaar was implemented through a sustained mission-mode program with a clear focus on universal
coverage. Rather than relying solely on a centralised government office model, the enrollment was
outsourced to a vast network of registrars, including banks and local governments. This drive was
synchronized with sectoral policies—like the DoT’s e-KYC approval and the Ministry of Finance’s PMJDY
mission—ensuring that the digital identity was immediately put to use in high-impact public and
private programs.
b. Institutional Setup and Governance
The creation of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was a critical institutional choice.
Originally an attached office, it was later given statutory backing through the Aadhaar Act. This provided
a clear legal framework for data privacy, security, consent, and accountability.
c. Shared Digital Capabilities and Infrastructure
At its core, Aadhaar created a shared digital identity and authentication infrastructure that could
be reused across programs and service providers. Standardised, machine-readable authentication
mechanisms—both biometric and demographic—enabled departments to verify beneficiaries digitally
without storing sensitive personal data themselves.
By treating identity and authentication as shared digital capabilities, the government removed the need
for every department or company to build its own verification system. This modularity made Aadhaar a
“plug-and-play” component for other DPIs including UPI and DigiLocker.
Aadhaar authentication was designed around the principle of minimal data sharing, typically responding
with a simple “Yes/No” confirmation rather than exposing underlying identity profiles. This model ensured
that Aadhaar provided core identity infrastructure while leaving service delivery to line departments and
regulated private entities.
d. Market Participation
To ensure the technology reached the last mile, Aadhaar fostered a diverse market ecosystem by
activating the demand. Private companies competed to manufacture low-cost, certified biometric
scanners (fingerprint and iris), making them affordable for small-town banks and fair-price shops.
By allowing private entities—from telecom giants to fintech startups—to become Authentication User
Agencies (AUAs), the system enabled the private sector to build new business models around instant
verification. This market participation ensured that the utility of Aadhaar grew exponentially; the more
places that accepted it, the more valuable the ID became to the citizen.
Case Study: Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
Context and Problem
For decades, India’s digital payment landscape was characterized by “walled gardens”. While IMPS and
RTGS existed, they were designed for high-value, bank-to-bank transfers. For a small merchant, accepting
a digital payment meant paying high MDR (Merchant Discount Rate) fees and managing multiple
proprietary terminals. For a consumer, sending money required knowing the recipient’s bank account
number and IFSC code, a process that lacked the immediacy and simplicity of physical cash.
47DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat The Initiative and Outcomes
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was introduced to address this gap by making digital payments
as simple and ubiquitous as cash. UPI enabled instant, bank-to-bank transfers using familiar identifiers
such as mobile numbers and QR codes, without requiring users to share sensitive bank details or navigate
complex processes.
As the system scaled to process over 20 billion transactions a month, it did more than just move money;
it normalized the concept of the “micro-payment”. UPI made paying for a single cup of tea or a handful of
vegetables as seamless as a large bank transfer. This shift brought millions of informal street vendors into
the formal fold, creating a visible shift where QR codes became commonplace alongside cash boxes.
Beyond the volume, this evolution began to turn transaction histories into “reputation data”, allowing small
businesses that previously had no financial record to finally access formal credit based on their verifiable
digital cash flow.
How the DPI Approach Enabled It
a. Programmatic Drive
The government’s mission-mode approach to financial inclusion —specifically the creation of over 500
million bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana —provided the necessary endpoints for
the UPI to function as a population-scale system.
b. Institutional Setup and Governance
UPI operates under the regulatory oversight of the Reserve Bank of India, with National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI) serving as the not-for-profit system provider and operator. While NPCI
provided the technical switch, its institutional identity as a not-for-profit, industry-led umbrella
organization was critical. Because the entity was owned by a consortium of banks, it provided
the necessary neutrality to ensure that no single private entity could gatekeep access to the
payment network.
The decision to implement a Zero MDR policy for UPI transactions removed the primary financial friction
for small-scale merchants. By eliminating the cost of acceptance at the bottom of the pyramid, the policy
shifted the merchant’s perspective of digital payments from an expense to a convenience.
c. Shared Digital Capabilities and Infrastructure
UPI was built as a shared, interoperable transaction rail rather than a standalone application. Rather
than requiring every bank to build its own proprietary payment language, UPI introduced standardized
APIs and the Virtual Payment Address (VPA). The VPA acted as a middle layer of abstraction, allowing a
user to link a simple identifier (e.g., name@bank) to their underlying bank account. This capability meant
that sensitive banking details never had to be shared during a transaction, lowering the risk of fraud and
simplifying the user experience across different applications.
d. Market Participation
The UPI was designed to be minimalist at the core, leaving the experience layer to the market. By opening
the APIs to Third-Party Application Providers (TPAPs), the initiative allowed fintech companies and global
technology platforms to compete on user interface design, customer service, and value-added features.
This separation of the utility layer (NPCI) from the application layer (private apps) ensured that while the
back-end remained a stable public utility, the front-end remained a highly competitive and innovative
marketplace. This competition ensured that digital payments became accessible even to users with low
digital literacy or entry-level smartphones.
48DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Case Study: GSTN
Context and Problem
Before 2017, India’s indirect tax landscape was a complex maze of overlapping central and state levies. A
single product moving across state lines could be subject to Excise Duty, VAT, Entry Tax, and Octroi, each
managed by different departments with separate paper-based filing systems.
For businesses, this meant maintaining multiple registrations and dealing with “tax cascading” (tax on
tax), as credits from one levy often couldn’t be set off against another. For the state, the lack of a unified
view of a taxpayer’s journey across the supply chain led to massive tax evasion through “missing trader”
fraud and manual invoice manipulation. The economy was functionally divided by physical and digital
borders that made national-scale commerce inefficient.
The Initiative and Outcomes
The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) was established to provide the digital backbone for
implementing a unified national GST regime. Rather than merely digitising existing tax processes, GSTN
was designed as a digital infrastructure through which all GST registrations, returns, payments, and
reconciliations would flow—across both central and state tax administrations.
By 2025, the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) stands as one of the world’s largest digital tax
infrastructures, reflecting India’s success in building a unified, technology-driven fiscal ecosystem. With
over 1.56 crore registered taxpayers, more than 170 crore returns filed, and around 42 crore payment
transactions amounting to nearly `97 lakh crore in tax payments
45
, GSTN demonstrates the scale,
reliability, and inclusivity of India’s digital governance model.
How the DPI Approach Enabled It
a. Programmatic Drive
GST was implemented as a national mission involving simultaneous policy reform and digital rollout across
the Union and states. GSTN was integral to this effort, providing a single interface for taxpayers regardless
of jurisdiction. Extensive outreach, phased onboarding, and iterative refinement of filing processes
enabled businesses—especially small firms—to transition gradually into the new system rather than face a
one-time compliance shock.
b. Institutional Setup and Governance: The Trusted Utility
GSTN was structured as a Section 8 (not-for-profit) company with joint ownership by the Government of
India and state governments, alongside regulated institutional shareholders. This hybrid ownership model
ensured public oversight while allowing GSTN to function with operational autonomy and technology-
sector agility.
The governance is anchored in the GST Council, a federal body where the Center and States make
collective policy decisions. This ensures that it evolves not by executive decree, but through a consensus-
based framework that respects India’s federal structure.
c. Shared Digital Capabilities
Rather than building a “closed” government portal, GSTN was designed as a set of open, secure APIs.
It provides three core shared capabilities that include standardized registration, invoice matching and
automated ledger.
By treating these as shared services, the government removed the burden from individual states to
build their own back-ends. This common infrastructure enabled interoperability across jurisdictions
and reduced duplication of effort, while providing the foundation for analytics-driven compliance and
enforcement.
d. Market Participation
GSTN’s architecture deliberately enabled participation by a broad ecosystem of private players.
Taxpayer-facing services—such as return preparation, accounting, invoicing, and compliance support—
49DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat were opened to licensed private software providers through standardised APIs. This allowed businesses
to interact with GST through tools that suited their size and sophistication, rather than through a single
government interface.
This market participation was particularly important for small and medium enterprises, which relied on
accountants, tax practitioners, and software providers to navigate the transition. Competition among
solution providers improved usability, reduced compliance friction, and accelerated adoption, while GSTN
remained the stable, neutral backbone for data exchange and validation.
Case Study: FASTag
Context and Problem
For decades, India’s national highways were plagued by chronic congestion at toll plazas. Despite the
expansion of road infrastructure, the toll booths remained a manual, cash-based bottleneck. Vehicles
often waited for 20–30 minutes in long queues, leading to massive fuel wastage, air pollution, and
increased logistics costs.
The manual tolling was also vulnerable to revenue leakages, under-reporting, and reconciliation delays.
Cash handling increased the risk of diversion, while fragmented toll systems made it difficult to obtain
real-time visibility into collections across plazas and corridors. For a long-haul truck driver crossing state
lines, there was no single way to pay for a journey, and the lack of a digital footprint made it difficult
for transport companies to track expenses or prevent cash pilferage by drivers. For freight operators,
unpredictable delays at toll booths translated into higher logistics costs, lower vehicle utilisation, and
unreliable delivery timelines.
Earlier attempts at electronic tolling saw limited adoption due to lack of interoperability, inconsistent
standards across plazas, and the absence of a unified national framework. As a result, tolling remained a
major friction point in India’s transport and logistics ecosystem.
The Initiative and Outcomes
FASTag was introduced to address these challenges by enabling cashless, contactless toll payments
using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. It enabled a “drive-through” experience where
toll payments are automatically deducted from a linked prepaid or savings account while the vehicle
is in motion.
As the initiative moved from a voluntary pilot to a mandatory national standard, it reshaped the logistics
landscape. Wait times at toll plazas dropped from an average of 12 minutes to less than 30 seconds.
The impact has been substantial. Digital tolling through FASTag has led to a reduction of over 90% in
average wait times at toll plazas
46
, fuel savings of up to 15%, and an estimated 20% reduction in CO₂
emissions from idling vehicles. Today, over 90% of toll transactions on national highways are conducted
digitally
47
, making FASTag the default mode of toll collection nationwide.
The integration of E-Way Bills with FASTag-enabled enforcement has eliminated physical checkpoints at
state borders. This has reduced truck travel time by nearly 30%, effectively turning the entire country into
a seamless logistics corridor.
What started as a tolling solution has evolved into a “Vehicle ID”. By 2025, FASTag is being used
for contactless parking payments at airports and malls, and even for automated fuel payments at
petrol pumps.
How the DPI Approach Enabled It
a. Programmatic Drive
FASTag was rolled out through a strong mission-mode program led by the National Highways Authority
of India (NHAI). Rather than a single-step rollout, adoption was achieved through phased sequencing.
Initial pilots were launched on select highway corridors, followed by expansion across national highways.
50DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat The transition was supported by a massive nationwide distribution network, ensuring tags could be
purchased at fuel stations, banks, and even via e-commerce platforms.
This was reinforced through clear policy mandates—first requiring FASTag for all new vehicles, and
subsequently making it mandatory for all vehicles at national highway toll plazas.
This staged approach—pilot, scale, and mandate—helped overcome coordination challenges between
users and operators, ensuring that FASTag transitioned from an optional facility to a national default.
b. Institutional Setup and Governance
FASTag operates under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) framework, with the National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) acting as the neutral operator of the toll payment network. NPCI
manages the central clearing and settlement infrastructure, ensuring interoperability across issuing
banks, toll operators, and plazas.
Policy oversight and highway operations are led by NHAI, while Indian Highway Management Company
Limited (IHMCL)—a company promoted by NHAI—handles operational implementation, plaza integration,
and monitoring. This clear separation of roles ensured that toll policy and enforcement remained with
transport authorities, while the digital transaction infrastructure was managed as a shared public utility.
c. Shared Digital Capabilities and Infrastructure
FASTag is built on a set of shared digital capabilities that enable nationwide interoperability. These include
standardised RFID-based vehicle identification, a centralised transaction switching and settlement
system, and machine-readable data flows between toll plazas, issuing banks, and highway authorities.
By treating toll collection as a shared transaction infrastructure, FASTag eliminated the need for each toll
operator to deploy proprietary systems. A single FASTag works seamlessly across states and highways,
enabling frictionless mobility while providing authorities with real-time visibility into toll operations
and revenues.
d. Market Participation
Market participation played a critical role in FASTag’s nationwide adoption. Multiple public and private
banks were authorised to issue FASTags, compete on distribution channels, and integrate FASTag
issuance with existing customer relationships. Technology vendors supplied RFID tags, lane automation
equipment, and backend integration services under common technical standards.
To reduce onboarding friction further, vehicle manufacturers began offering factory-fitted FASTags in
new vehicles. This competitive, multi-actor ecosystem ensured wide availability, lowered issuance costs,
and accelerated last-mile adoption—while the core infrastructure remained a neutral public utility.
Allowing private parking operators and fuel stations to join the NETC network created a new market for
contactless mobility where private firms build user-friendly apps to manage vehicle-related expenses on
top of the shared FASTag infrastructure.
Case Study: Account Aggregator (AA) Framework
Context and Problem
For decades, access to formal credit and financial services in India was constrained not by the absence
of data, but by the absence of trusted data mobility. Individuals and small businesses generated financial
data across banks, NBFCs, insurers, mutual funds, and pension systems, yet this data remained locked
within institutional silos. Consumers had no practical means to access, control, or share their own financial
information.
As a result, lenders relied on collateral, paper statements, and historical relationships to assess
creditworthiness. Small enterprises, gig workers, and informal earners—despite having regular cash
flows—were frequently excluded because they could not present verified, machine-readable financial
records. Where data sharing did occur, it relied on insecure mechanisms such as physical documents,
PDFs, or screen-scraping, increasing fraud risk and undermining privacy.
51DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat The Initiative and Outcomes
The Account Aggregator (AA) Framework was introduced to address this structural problem by enabling
secure, consent-driven sharing of financial data. Under the framework, individuals and businesses can
digitally authorise the transfer of their financial information—from data-holding institutions to regulated
data users. The financial data flows through clearly defined roles. Financial Information Providers (FIPs)—
such as banks, NBFCs, insurers, mutual funds, and pension institutions—hold users’ financial data.
Financial Information Users (FIUs)—such as lenders, wealth managers, or personal finance platforms—
consume this data to deliver services like credit, investment advice, or financial planning. Account
Aggregators (AAs) act as neutral consent managers, enabling users to securely authorise the transfer of
specific data from FIPs to FIUs. Importantly, Account Aggregators do not store, process, or monetise the
data themselves; they only facilitate consented, encrypted data flows between regulated entities.
The framework shifted control of financial data from institutions to the data principal. Data sharing
became purpose-specific, time-bound, and revocable, replacing blanket consent and opaque data use
with explicit, auditable permissions.
By late 2025, the AA framework has achieved significant scale: 126 financial institutions operate as both
FIPs and FIUs. Over 2 billion financial accounts are enabled for data sharing, with over 223 million users
linking their accounts to the AA ecosystem
48
.
As adoption scaled, the AA framework began to transform credit underwriting and financial service
delivery. Loan approvals that previously took weeks could be processed in minutes using verified,
machine-readable data. Small businesses and individuals without collateral gained access to formal
credit based on cash flows rather than assets, while fraud risks reduced through the elimination of
document tampering.
How the DPI Approach Enabled It
a. Programmatic Drive
The AA framework was rolled out through a coordinated, regulator-led program rather than a single-
mandate push. Standards for consent, data formats, and security were established first, followed by
phased onboarding of financial institutions and use cases.
Ecosystem coordination and readiness were supported by the Sahamati Alliance, which worked with
banks, NBFCs, fintech firms, and regulators to operationalise common standards and accelerate adoption
across the financial sector.
b. Institutional Setup and Governance
A defining feature of the AA framework is its regulatory and institutional design. Account Aggregators
are licensed and regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with other financial regulators governing
participation within their respective sectors.
Inter-regulatory coordination across the Securities and Exchange Board of India, Insurance Regulatory
and Development Authority of India, and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority ensured
consistent fiduciary, security, and compliance standards across banking, insurance, investments,
and pensions.
The AA framework is aligned with India’s Digital Empowerment of Personal Accounts (DEPA) model,
embedding consent, purpose limitation, and revocability as foundational principles for data sharing.
c. Shared Digital Capabilities and Infrastructure
At its core, the AA framework provides a shared consent and data-exchange infrastructure. It is built on
a shared, interoperable protocol rather than a centralized database. It introduced the Electronic Consent
Artefact, a standardized digital “contract” that specifies exactly - what data is being shared, for what
purpose and for how long. By treating “consent” as a shared digital capability, the framework ensured that
the user is the primary “controller” of their data.
52DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Standardised, machine-readable data formats and APIs allow financial data to move securely and
interoperably across institutions. This eliminated the need for bilateral integrations between every bank
and fintech. Once integrated, participants could connect to the entire ecosystem, dramatically reducing
onboarding costs while ensuring that sensitive financial data flowed directly between regulated entities.
d. Market Participation
The AA framework deliberately enabled market participation at multiple layers. Licensed Account
Aggregators competed on user experience, reliability, and consent dashboards. Banks, NBFCs, fintech
lenders, personal finance platforms, and MSME applications integrated as data users, building products
on top of consented data flows.
This open yet regulated participation fostered competition in credit delivery, personal finance
management, and risk assessment—while the underlying data-sharing rails remained interoperable and
neutral. As participation increased, network effects strengthened without creating centralised data
accumulation.
53DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Appendix B: DPI Approach Enables Total
Factor Productivity (TFP) Growth
What is Total Factor Productivity (TFP)
Total Factor Productivity (TFP) stands as a cornerstone concept in macroeconomics, representing the
enigmatic yet powerful force that drives long-term economic prosperity. TFP focuses on the productivity
of the whole economy of a country. TFP is a measure of an economy’s ability to generate income from
inputs (labour and capital)—to do more with less.
If an economy increases its total income without using more inputs, or if the economy maintains its
income level while using fewer inputs, it is said to enjoy higher TFP. When TFP improves, it allows
countries to maintain or increase living standards while conserving resources, including natural resources
such as the climate and our biosphere.
TFP Growth - a measure towards developed nation
Countries with the world’s highest TFP, such as The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the US,
are also among its richest. There is a close association between productive efficiency and economic
prosperity
49
.
This relationship is reinforced by the Asian Development Bank
50
, which provides strong empirical
evidence that sustained TFP growth is the central mechanism through which countries transition
to high-income, developed status and avoid the middle-income trap - a situation where nations
experience growth stagnation as input-led strategies like adding more capital and labour yield diminishing
returns. The report shows that growth slowdowns in middle-income economies are driven predominantly
by sharp declines in productivity growth rather than by reductions in labour or capital accumulation, with
studies finding that up to 85% of observed slowdowns can be attributed to falling TFP growth.
Conversely, countries that successfully graduate to high-income status consistently exhibit faster and
more sustained TFP growth, reflecting a shift from input-led to productivity-led growth. The evidence
thus establishes that TFP growth is the defining pathway through which nations escape middle-income
stagnation and achieve sustained growth towards becoming a developed, high-income nation.
Sustained TFP growth is primarily driven by five interrelated factors:
51
1. Innovation, defined as the generation and adoption of new technologies; leading to the
development of higher value-added activities, products, and processes and improving the
performance of existing ones. It involves investing in frontier R&D, enabling experimentation,
learning, and structural upgrading.
2. Market Efficiency, defined as enabling efficient allocation and use of resources (e.g., labor, capital,
and materials) across firms and sectors in a competitive environment. It enhances TFP by inducing
unproductive firms to exit the market, facilitating productive firms to grow, and allowing new firms
to emerge. Market frictions, misallocation and monopolies suppress aggregate TFP even in the
presence of investment and skills.
3. Public infrastructure - physical and digital - that can provide timely and cost-effective access to
input and output markets, workplaces, and knowledge and information sources, thus supporting all
possible economic activities. An appropriate infrastructure network –in terms of quantity, quality,
and diversity – can complement private capital and labor, increasing their returns and impact on
economic growth. In this way, expanding public infrastructure becomes a source of TFP growth.
4. Workforce productivity, as the knowledge and skills of the population not only to produce more
and better, but also to generate, disseminate, adapt, and implement technology throughout the
economy. Higher levels of education, skills, and health improve labour quality and raise output per
54DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat worker. Differences in human capital explain a significant share of cross-country variation in TFP,
particularly as production becomes more complex and knowledge-intensive.
5. Public Institutions – in the regulatory, justice, policy, and political systems – that promote social and
economic stability; tap into the possible productivity benefits of innovations and tackle barriers to
the opportunities for all across the economy.
DPI Approach - a design approach to enable TFP growth
While primary growth factors of TFP are fairly clear - the biggest question for policymakers is how to
enable them effectively in a systematic way across the sectors and economy. Digital Public Infrastructure
(DPI) as a design approach offers that mechanism to activate TFP growth factors and enable
productivity-led growth across the economy. DPI as design approach is foundationally rooted in the TFP
growth factors:
• Technology and innovation are the fundamental pillars of DPI approach with the focus on
addressing structural challenges including transaction cost, productivity and market expansion.
• Creating a level playing field and competitive environment for innovators of all sizes and types -
private sector, government, non-profits.
• Driving adoption through focused programs to ensure change on the ground.
• Enabling institutional setup including policy and regulation.
55DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Appendix C: Abbreviations
Abbreviation Expansion
AAAccount Aggregator
ASERAnnual Status of Education Report
BISBank for International Settlements
DBTDirect Benefit Transfer
DPIDigital Public Infrastructure
e-KYCElectronic Know Your Customer
FIUFinancial Information User
FIPFinancial Information Provider
GDPGross Domestic Product
G2PGovernment-to-Person
GSTGoods and Services Tax
GSTNGoods and Services Tax Network
IHMCLIndian Highway Management Company Limited
IMPSImmediate Payment Service
JAMJan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile
MeitYMinistry of Electronics and Information Technology
MSMEMicro, Small and Medium Enterprise
NBFCNon-Banking Financial Company
NETCNational Electronic Toll Collection
NHAINational Highways Authority of India
NPCINational Payments Corporation of India
PMJDYPradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
RFIDRadio Frequency Identification
RTGSReal Time Gross Settlement
SEBISecurities and Exchange Board of India
TFPTotal Factor Productivity
TPAPThird-Party Application Provider
UCL University College London
UIDAIUnique Identification Authority of India
UPIUnified Payments Interface
56DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Appendix D: Glossary
TermDefinition
Account Aggregator
(AA)
A consent-based system that allows people and businesses to securely
share their financial data with service providers, enabling faster and simpler
access to credit and financial services.
Aggregated Demand
The pooling of demand—often at district or state level—to create a clear and
reliable market for digital solutions and service providers.
Blue Dot
Digital enablement of a physical entity such as an individual or organisation
to broadcast who they are, what they have and what they are seeking in a
credible way.
Building Blocks
Minimalist, reusable digital components enabling interoperability and inno-
vation.
Citizen-Centric Design
Designing digital systems around real user needs and behaviours to ensure
ease of use, trust, and inclusion.
Combinatorial Impact
The non-linear benefits created when multiple digital systems—such as
identity, payments, and data—work together, producing outcomes far great-
er than any single system alone.
Direct Benefit Transfer
(DBT)
A mission-mode program that uses digital infrastructure to transfer social
benefits directly to bank accounts, reducing leakages.
Digital Public Infra-
structure (DPI)
A design approach leveraging technology and market innovation across
sectors to enable non-linear socio-economic development at scale.
Digital Registries
Authoritative digital records of entities—such as individuals, businesses,
assets, or institutions—that provide a trusted source of verified information
and enable identification, authentication, and interoperability across digital
systems.
Digital Transactions
Trusted, low-cost digital exchanges that enable individuals and enterprises
to participate easily in the formal economy.
Electronic Know Your
Customer (e-KYC)
Paperless “Electronic Know Your Customer” identity verification enabled by
the Aadhaar digital identity infrastructure.
FASTag
RFID-based digital toll collection system enabling seamless vehicular move-
ment developed using DPI approach.
Goods and Services
Tax Network (GSTN)
Goods and Services Tax Network; a digital system for tax filings whose data is
often used for credit risk assessment.
Hidden Economy
Economic activities that operate outside formal systems of registration,
taxation, regulation, and social protection, limiting access to formal credit,
markets, and public services and reducing overall productivity and growth.
57DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat TermDefinition
Hockey-Stick Growth
A non-linear growth trajectory that rapidly accelerates as more people and
businesses are onboarded onto shared digital infrastructure.
Interoperability
The ability of different digital systems, platforms, or applications to work
together seamlessly using common standards or protocols, enabling data ex-
change and transactions without creating silos or lock-in.
Inclusive Prosperity
Economic growth that expands opportunities, incomes, and capabilities
broadly across society, not just for a few.
Language AI
Artificial intelligence systems that understand, generate, and interact using
human languages—especially local and vernacular languages—enabling
voice- and text-based access to digital services for all citizens, regardless of
literacy or technical skills.
Machine-Readable
Data
Data that is structured and formatted so that digital systems can automat-
ically read, process, and analyse it, enabling interoperability, automation,
and effective use by analytics and AI systems.
Market Participation
The involvement of diverse public, private, and non-profit actors in building
solutions on shared digital foundations, fostering competition and innova-
tion.
Mission-Mode Pro-
grams
Outcome-driven initiatives designed to rapidly scale adoption and usage of
digital systems to achieve specific national or sectoral goals.
Participatory Gover-
nance
A governance approach in which government, private sector, civil society,
and other stakeholders jointly shape the design, operation, and evolution of
digital systems through transparent, consultative, and inclusive processes.
Open Networks
Interoperable digital networks that unbundle demand and supply, allowing
multiple providers to participate without a single controlling platform.
Preventive Care
Health services and interventions focused on preventing illness, detecting
health risks early, and promoting well-being, reducing the need for costly
and complex treatments later.
Regulatory Sandbox
A controlled environment where new digital solutions can be tested safely
under regulatory oversight before wide-scale deployment.
Sustainable Data
Economy
An economic system in which data is generated, shared, and used responsi-
bly to create long-term value for individuals, businesses, and society, sup-
ported by trust, incentives, governance, and fair value exchange.
Total Factor Productiv-
ity (TFP)
A measure of economic efficiency reflecting growth achieved through better
use of technology, skills, and systems—not just more labour or capital.
Tokenization
Converting physical assets like land property or carbon credits into digital
tokens that can be traded or exchanged
Verifiable Credentials
Digitally issued and cryptographically secure credentials that allow individ-
uals or entities to prove specific attributes or qualifications—such as identity,
skills, eligibility, or compliance—in a trusted and privacy-preserving manner.
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indian-revolution
3. Barnwal, P. (2024). Curbing leakage in public programs: Evidence from India’s Direct Benefit
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Yojana (PMJDY): National Mission for Financial Inclusion completes nine years of successful
implementation [Press release].
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infrastructure: Lessons from India. BIS Papers (No. 106). Bank for International Settlements.
https://www.bis.org/publ/bppdf/bispap106.pdf
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https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2132330
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https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/130281 557504440729 NOTES NOTES NOTES
for Viksit Bharat
A Strategic Roadmap to Enable Non-linear
Inclusive Socio-economic Growth
April 2026 Disclaimer
This roadmap has been prepared by NITI Frontier Tech Hub (FTH) in consultation with experts and
stakeholders. The data used is from secondary sources. Any references to specific organisations,
products, services or technologies does not attribute to endorsement but are only for
illustrative purposes. Acknowledgement
W
e express our sincere gratitude to Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, Former CEO, NITI Aayog,
Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and Shri
Nand Kumarum, President & CEO, National e-Governance Division (NeGD), MeitY, for their
invaluable contributions. Their guidance has been instrumental in ensuring that the roadmap remains
both aspirational in its vision and firmly grounded in present realities. Expert Council Members
Dr. Pramod Varma
Cofounder & Chief
Architect, Networks
for Humanity
Mr. Nandan Nilekani
Co-Founder and
Chairman of Infosys
Technology Limited
Mr. Shankar Maruwada
Co-Founder
and CEO at
EkStep Foundation Lead Contributors
Mr. Alok Gupta, Chief Solutions & Product Officer, Ekstep Foundation
Mr. Kameswara Rao, Director, Solutions & Growth, Ekstep Foundation
Mr. Viswanathan Ravichandran, Partner, Deloitte South Asia
Ms. Nandita Chandrasekhar, Consultant, Deloitte South Asia
Ms. Ananya Anand, Consultant, Deloitte South Asia
Other Contributors
Ms. Anusree Jayakrishnan, Technical Architect, Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure
Ms. Kamya Chandra, Chief Strategy Officer, Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure
Ms. Tanushka Vaid, Senior Program Officer, Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure
Ms. Aliya Fathima Sheriff, Program Associate, FIDE
Mr. Anirban Sinha, Principal, Digital Energy Grid, FIDE
Mr. Sujith Nair, CEO & Co-founder, FIDE
Mr. Abhishek Sankritik, Director, Programs and Policy, Finternet Labs
Mr. Siddharth Shetty, CEO & Co-Creator, Finternet Labs
Mr. Kiran Anandampillai, CEO and Founder, iDrishti
Mr. Gaurav Gupta, Chief Growth Officer, EkStep Foundation
Mr. Jagadish Babu, Chief Operating Officer, EkStep Foundation
Ms. Shalini Kapoor, Chief Strategist - Data & AI, Chief Growth Officer, EkStep Foundation
Mr. NSN Murty, Partner, Deloitte South Asia
Mr. Sreeram Ananthasayanam, Partner, Deloitte South Asia vii
Message
India’s aspiration to realise a Viksit Bharat by 2047 necessitates
development pathways that are at once inclusive, scalable, and
capable of delivering broad-based gains in productivity across
the economy. Over the past decade, Digital Public Infrastructure
has demonstrated the transformative potential of shared digital
foundations in expanding access, enhancing service delivery,
deepening inclusion, and catalysing innovation at population
scale. The next phase of this journey must move decisively beyond
foundational inclusion towards enabling livelihoods, strengthening
human capabilities, and unlocking new engines of growth across
sectors and regions.
The NITI Frontier Tech Hub roadmap presents a timely and well
considered framework to guide this national endeavour. Its emphasis
on a problem-led and ecosystem-driven approach is particularly
apposite, with States and districts envisaged as central to contextual
adoption, and with technology, data, and artificial intelligence
harnessed to expand opportunity for citizens, farmers, workers,
and enterprises alike. If pursued with clarity of purpose, close
coordination, and sustained commitment, this roadmap holds the
promise of fostering a more resilient, productive, and inclusive digital
economy, while further consolidating India’s standing as a global
leader in public-purpose digital transformation.
SUMAN K. BERY
Vice Chairman
NITI Aayog Foreword
India’s aspiration of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047 requires new
approaches that can deliver growth at both scale and speed while
ensuring inclusion across society.
Over the past decade, India’s pioneering Digital Public
Infrastructure (DPI) —anchored in Aadhaar’s foundational digital
identity for over 1.3 billion people, UPI’s explosive adoption driving
billions of seamless transactions monthly, and interoperable
platforms for inclusive banking and payments — has proven the
power of open, shared digital building blocks. These systems have
revolutionized service delivery, dramatically expanded financial
and economic participation, unleashed innovation, and built
unprecedented state capacity, earning global recognition as a model
for the world.
The NITI Frontier Tech Hub roadmap on DPI @2047, marks the vital
next chapter in our DPI journey. Building on these hard-won lessons,
the focus now shifts from foundational inclusion to unlocking broad-
based economic opportunity and higher productivity. By deepening
DPI’s reach into critical sectors, MSMEs should be empowered with
seamless access to markets, credit, and digital tools; uplift farmer
livelihoods through data-driven agriculture and fair value chains;
strengthen human capabilities via transformed education and health
systems; and expand affordable credit and economic participation for
millions more.
Achieving these sectoral transformations requires breaking structural
barriers that have long constrained India’s potential — low productivity,
fragmented markets, and unequal access — while harnessing the full
potential of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence,
to accelerate innovation, personalize services, and amplify impact.
None of this will happen in silos. Success demands coordinated
execution across government, industry, academia, and civil society;
robust institutional frameworks that prioritize trust, security, privacy,
and interoperability; and a vibrant ecosystem where public and private
innovators collaborate to build upon open DPI rails. ix
As we march toward 2047 — the centenary of our independence —
India’s DPI approach stands as a powerful, proven foundation for
inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth. It positions us not just
to meet our national aspirations, but to offer the world a replicable
pathway for equitable digital transformation.
I am confident this roadmap will serve as an inspiring and
practical guide for policymakers, innovators, entrepreneurs,
development partners, and all stakeholders united in the shared
mission to realize the promise of a truly Viksit Bharat.
S. Krishnan
Secretary, MeitY Foreword
The India we seek to build by 2047 must be one where opportunity is not
constrained by geography, language, income or institutional complexity.
It must be an India where a small entrepreneur can access markets with
confidence, where a farmer can make informed decisions with timely
intelligence, where a student can learn in ways that truly empower and where
families are better protected from vulnerability. Technology, in this vision, is
not an end in itself; it is an instrument for widening human possibility.
Incremental progress will not be sufficient for the scale of India’s
aspirations. We must think in terms of systems that multiply impact,
institutions that enable innovation and digital foundations that create
compounding value across sectors. Data must become more usable and
trusted, Artificial intelligence must become more accessible and relevant
to India’s realities and Digital ecosystems must strengthen human capacity,
deepen trust and expand opportunity across the country.
The path ahead must remain rooted in India’s federal strength and social
diversity. The future of India will be shaped not only in national capitals, but
in States, districts, towns and villages where development is experienced
in everyday life. Our progress will depend on enabling local ecosystems,
empowering States to lead with context and ownership and ensuring that
innovation responds to the lived realities of citizens.
As India steps into this next phase, we have the opportunity to offer
the world not merely a model of digital advancement, but a model of
development that is open, inclusive and anchored in public purpose. Our
responsibility is therefore larger than building digital systems; it is to build
trust, expand agency and lay the foundations of enduring prosperity. If we
act with ambition, collaboration and clarity of purpose, India can shape a
future in which growth is not only faster, but fairer; not only more innovative,
but deeply human.
Nidhi Chhibber
CEO, NITI Aayog Foreword
Having built one of the world’s most successful Digital Public
Infrastructure (DPI) ecosystems over the past fifteen years—driving
financial inclusion at population scale, reducing welfare leakages, and
making UPI the global benchmark for real-time payments—India must
now take the next decisive leap.
The next phase of India’s digital transformation must move beyond
financial inclusion toward livelihood-led, productivity-driven growth.
The NITI Frontier Tech Hub roadmap—DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat —
sets out this strategic direction through DPI 2.0 (2025–2035).
It identifies eight high-impact sectoral transformations to address
structural bottlenecks facing lower- and middle-income citizens and
enterprises—expanding market access and job discovery for MSMEs,
improving farmer livelihoods, enabling learner-centric education and
universal health coverage, and strengthening systemic enablers such as
access to credit, decentralised energy markets, and benefits that reliably
reach citizens.
Delivering these outcomes will require coordinated, ecosystem-
driven execution. The roadmap therefore highlights four critical
enablers: aggregating demand through district-level programs,
scaling technology entrepreneurship, leveraging artificial intelligence
through DPI, and deploying cross-sector strategic unlocks such as data
sharing, expanded digital transactions, democratizing AI and enhanced
human capacity.
Together, these actions can ignite the “hockey-stick” effect of DPI
2.0—unlocking non-linear growth that transforms every district
into an engine of opportunity and every citizen into a participant in
India’s prosperity.
In essence, this roadmap charts India’s journey from welfare to
wealth creation—leveraging DPI not just to deliver services, but to
unlock productivity, entrepreneurship, and inclusive prosperity at
population scale.
Debjani Ghosh
Distinguished Fellow,
NITI Aayog How to Read this Roadmap
This document presents a strategic roadmap for India to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat
2047 using Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach. It outlines a set of strategic execution
recommendations to enable systemic shift towards non-linear growth across sectors using
DPI approach.
The objective of this document is not to prescribe a fixed blueprint or provide a detailed
implementation plan. Instead, it recommends an actionable strategic direction for the way forward
to create the next generation of shared digital infrastructure and activate market innovation for
inclusive prosperity.
The Roadmap is structured into 4 sections:
i) Context Setting has Chapter 1 outlining learnings from India’s DPI journey so far and Chapter 2
articulating Why DPI approach is essential to Viksit Bharat.
ii) Roadmap has Chapter 3 defining a two phase approach - DPI 2.0 and DPI 3.0 and Target
Sectoral transformations as part of DPI 2.0 scope.
iii) Execution Strategy for DPI 2.0 in Chapter 4 defines the four key imperatives required with
Chapter 5 explaining one of these imperatives - Cross-Sector Strategic Unlocks in detail.
Chapter 6 defines ways of enabling sectoral transformations.
iv) Call to Action has Chapter 7 recommending a set of concrete actions to initiate the
execution of DPI 2.0.
Reading Guide
Time FocusPurpose
15 minutes
Executive Summary
The Strategic Core: Get the key insights, strategic
highlights and action direction. Ideal for Ministers
and senior leadership.
30 minutes
Executive Summary and
Recommended Action Plan
(Chapter 7)
The Execution Roadmap: Understand the stra-
tegic execution roadmap and immediate next
steps. Ideal for Ministerial Secretaries.
60 minutes Full Report
The Detail: Deep-dive into the detailed recom-
mendations across priority sectors. Ideal for
detailed understanding of What and Why. Sug-
gested for implementation teams and domain
experts. Table of Content
Executive Summary...........................................................................................................................................1
I. CONTEXT SETTING.......................................................................................................................................7
Chapter 1. Learnings from India’s DPI Journey So Far..................................................................................8
Chapter 2. DPI Approach: The Engine for a Developed India by 2047....................................................12
II. ROADMAP.....................................................................................................................................................15
Chapter 3. DPI@2047: The Roadmap to Prosperity..................................................................................... 16
Two-Phased Approach: DPI 2.0 and DPI 3.0.....................................................................................................................16
DPI 2.0 Scope: Target Sectoral Transformations............................................................................................................17
III. EXECUTION STRATEGY FOR DPI 2.0......................................................................................................19
Chapter 4. The Four Key Imperatives..............................................................................................................20
# 1: Aggregate Demand via District Programs..........................................................................................................20
# 2: Scale Tech Entrepreneurship.....................................................................................................................................21
# 3: Leverage AI Momentum...............................................................................................................................................21
# 4: Deploy Cross-Sector Strategic Unlocks..............................................................................................................22
Chapter 5. Detailing Cross-Sector Strategic Unlocks.................................................................................23
# 1: Unlocking Data.................................................................................................................................................................23
# 2: Democratizing AI............................................................................................................................................................25
# 3: Enhancing Human Capacity.....................................................................................................................................27
# 4: Expanding Digital Transactions..............................................................................................................................28
Chapter 6. Sectoral Transformations: Strategic Unlocks in Action.........................................................30
# 1: Scaled Market Expansion for MSMEs....................................................................................................................30
# 2: MSME Jobs Finding Local Talent.............................................................................................................................31
# 3: Improved Livelihood for Smallholder Farmers................................................................................................32
# 4: Decentralized Energy Markets................................................................................................................................33
# 5: Access to Credit for a Billion Indians.....................................................................................................................34
# 6: Safe Spaces for Learner-Centric Education......................................................................................................36
# 7: Universal Health Coverage........................................................................................................................................37
# 8: Benefits finding Beneficiaries..................................................................................................................................38
IV. CALL TO ACTION.......................................................................................................................................41
Chapter 7. Recommended Action Plan for DPI 2.0......................................................................................42
#1: Decentralized State-led execution..........................................................................................................................42
#2: Adopt Collaborative 2-year Iterative cycles of Transformations.............................................................42
#3 First cycle (2026-2027) focus on MSME and Agriculture.............................................................................43
#4 A neutral ecosystem body for global engagement is proposed..............................................................44
Appendices......................................................................................................................................................45 Executive Summary
Viksit Bharat by 2047 - India has set itself an audacious goal to become a $30 trillion economy
with a per capita income of $18,000 by 2047. It is a vision of a truly inclusive, resilient, and globally
competitive society. In the last 15 years, India has laid the foundation with improved citizen welfare and
financial inclusion at scale using the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach. India has to leverage
the exponential growth advantage of DPI approach to now take the next leap moving from welfare to
inclusive prosperity - to become a high-income, high-opportunity, and high-capability society.
Learnings from DPI 1.0 for Viksit Bharat Roadmap
The country’s journey so far, which can be termed DPI 1.0, has enabled an explosion of new services,
inclusion, and economic activity that was previously unimaginable. The result is a growth trajectory
that is non-linear, rapidly accelerating as more people and businesses are onboarded onto this digital
infrastructure. The learnings from this journey - forged in both success and challenge - must guide our
strategy for a Viksit Bharat.
Following summarizes the key lessons from the journey so far:
Roadmap
A two-phase approach is recommended as part of the DPI 2047 roadmap, to ensure that a broadbased
capable society is established as a foundation allowing a compounding effect towards inclusive
prosperity.
1DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat This document focuses on DPI 2.0 - expanding on its scope, execution strategy and action plan.
The DPI 2.0 Scope, consists of eight sectoral transformations , recommended based on their potential to
remove structural bottlenecks constraining the growth of the lower and middle income groups.
Mass Inclusion at Scale
1. Scaled Market Expansion for MSMEs through access to market intelligence, widening market
linkages, and simplifying compliance.
2. MSME Jobs finding Local Talent by making them digitally visible with the aim to make job
fulfillment a low cost, high trust transaction.
3. Improved Livelihood for Smallholder Farmers by enabling access to advisory services, market
linkages and credit.
Foundations of Human Capability
4. Safe Spaces for Learner-Centric Education empowering students, teachers and
administrators, towards realising the NEP’s vision by enabling equitable access to learning
materials in local languages and continuous learning pathways.
5. Universal Health Coverage to ensure that a single health crisis doesn’t erase a family’s progress
toward financial stability irrespective of their financial status.
2DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Systemic Enablers
6. Access to Credit for a Billion Indians by maximizing the utilization of monetizable assets for
microcredits.
7. Decentralized Energy Markets enabling effective utilization of renewable sources towards
unmet and growing energy needs.
8. Benefits finding Beneficiaries ensuring timely and inclusive access to social benefits for all
eligible citizens.
Execution Strategy for DPI 2.0
Achieving multi-sector transformation at this scale demands a radical focus on accelerated
transformation and the intentional growth of entirely new digital ecosystems. The DPI approach is
necessary but not sufficient, as India currently lacks a sufficient local ecosystem of entrepreneurs
and businesses ready to meet the new digital demand. We recommend execution strategy as four
interconnected critical imperatives with DPI approach as the overall foundation to drive the sectoral
transformations of DPI 2.0 roadmap.
DPI 2.0 EXECUTION STRATEGY
(with DPI Approach as its foundation)
#1 Aggregate Demand via District Programs: Achieving the compounding effect of DPI 2.0 requires
establishing strong, self-sustaining local economies as the foundation. Linking the DPI roadmap to
district-level development goals, via decentralized district programs, ensures that solutions are hyper-
localized with the adoption and usage being driven at the grassroots. The district programs are envisaged
as a mechanism to aggregate demand for DPI-based solutions which acts as a single largest incentive for
tech entrepreneurs, providing a secure pipeline of work.
#2 Scale Tech Entrepreneurship: India must dramatically expand its base of technology entrepreneurs
who can deliver DPI-aligned products and services. The goal is to build a distributed innovation engine
through incubators and accelerators, mission-focused R&D and the relevant policy and regulation. It
3DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat ensures that every sector and district has access to capable suppliers, developers, and innovators who
can respond to the aggregated demand.
#3 Leverage AI Momentum: Artificial Intelligence is the most significant productivity engine in human
history, offering the potential to solve complex, deeply rooted systemic problems that inhibit inclusive
growth. Enabling the use of AI through the DPI approach—making it accessible to every entrepreneur and
beneficial to every citizen—can create a momentum of exponential order.
Implementing the above recommended execution strategy will address the structural bottlenecks and
result in the DPI 2.0 sectoral transformations at speed and scale.
#4 Deploy Cross-Sectoral Strategic Unlocks: A cross-sectoral approach to address common structural
bottlenecks is essential to achieve transformations at speed and scale. We recommend following
strategic unlocks:
• Unlocking Data - Enable insights and credential proofs in a low-cost & high-trust manner.
• Democratizing AI - Ensure AI is accessible to all citizens and enterprises for predictive intelligence,
personalised guidance, removing digital and language barriers.
• Enhancing Human Capacity - Remove barriers to knowledge & expertise.
• Expanding Digital Transactions - Unbundle demand and supply through open networks and digital
enablement of entities.
4DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Call To Action
India stands at a once-in-a-generation inflection point. India’s DPI initiatives are already contributing
nearly 1% of GDP and could reach 4% by 2030
44
.
We recommend actioning DPI 2.0 as articulated in the
execution strategy on an immediate basis to get the momentum going for the journey to Viksit Bharat. We
recommend following four actions to achieve that:
#1: Decentralized State-led execution: We recommend DPI 2.0 to be executed through decentralised
state led initiatives with Government of India and NITI Aayog acting as catalysts.
#2: Adopt Collaborative 2-year Iterative cycles of Transformations: DPI as a design approach is still
unevenly understood across the ecosystem. As States embark on the uncharted journey of DPI 2.0
sectoral transformations, it is important to create the momentum in an iterative way so that we can figure
out exemplar pathways - solutions and replicable models - and build ecosystem capacity before focusing
on scaling them across states.
#3 First cycle (2026-2027) focus on MSME and Agriculture: For the initial cycle (2026-2027), we
suggest focusing on 3 sectoral transformations in MSME and Agriculture with six champion States/UTs
implementing lighthouse pilots in the first year and at least 5 additional States/UTs rollouts in the second
year for each of the proven transformations. MeitY and NITI Aayog should constitute an institutionalized
setup to support it, including an expert advisory group, engaging DPI expert organizations and
global partners.
#4 Establish a neutral ecosystem body for global engagement: Using the learnings from global partner
engagement in state-led transformations in 2026-27, India should consider establishing a globally focused
initiative in 2027. It is recommended to be housed in a neutral body in collaboration with global partners
that will spearhead India’s global engagement on DPI fostering a global community of collaboration on
DPI and AI for public good. A global DPI event can be planned for the launch of this initiative.
Achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047 is more than an aspiration; it is a strategic imperative that rests on our
ability to transform the economy into a high-productivity engine. Leveraging the exponential growth
advantage of DPI approach, India must now take the next leap of livelihood-led growth. The mission now
is to act with speed and synergy and leverage our proven digital leadership to achieve a truly inclusive,
resilient, and globally competitive society where growth is holistic and beneficial to all.
5DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat I. CONTEXT
SETTING Learnings from India’s DPI
Journey So Far
In the last 15 years, India has laid the foundation for our ambition of becoming a developed nation by
2047. However, this journey has not been without its challenges. As we chart our path forward, it is vital
to reflect on the lived experience - both its impact and lessons learned - to develop an effective and
actionable strategy.
Unlocking Non-Linear Growth: The Combinatorial Impact of DPI
In 2011, a staggering 65% of Indian adults lacked access to a formal bank account
2
,
limiting their
participation in the formal economy. Meanwhile, welfare programs were
plagued by leakages of 35-40%
3
, failing to reach those most in need.
India’s journey of DPI approach began with the launch of the Aadhaar
program with the objective to plug leakages in the social benefits. By
providing a unique digital identity to over 1.39 billion residents, Aadhaar
enabled instant, paperless identity verification (e-KYC). This single
innovation drastically reduced the cost of customer acquisition, laying the groundwork for unprecedented
financial inclusion and mobile penetration.
The First Wave of Combinatorial Impact: Jan Dhan and Mobile The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY), a mission to drive inclusive financial inclusion, leveraged Aadhaar’s e-KYC and zero balance
accounts policy to great effect. By eliminating traditional barriers, banks and fintechs were able to open
over 50 crore PMJDY accounts by 2023, a 3.4-fold increase since 2015
4
.
This was a non-linear leap: India
achieved 80% bank account penetration in just eight years, a feat the Bank for International Settlements
(BIS) estimated would have taken 47 years
5
.
In parallel, the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) approval of Aadhaar-based e-KYC in 2016
catalyzed a revolution in the telecom sector. This move enabled rapid, low-cost customer onboarding,
making it economically viable for operators to pursue a massive subscriber base. As a result, households’
ownership of mobiles in India surged to 85% by May 2025
6
. This was a critical step, as mobile phones
became the primary gateway to financial services and the digital economy for millions of rural Indians.
Powering the Economy: UPI and JAM The JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) became the
backbone of India’s digital transformation. Leveraging this trio, the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mission
created the world’s largest government-to-person (G2P) payment infrastructure, significantly plugging
social benefit leakages.
DPI contributed 0.9%
to India’s GDP in 2022,
projected to rise to
4.2% by 2030
1
Chapter 01
8DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat However, the most explosive growth was unleashed by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Launched
in 2016, UPI transformed India from a cash-dominated society into the global leader in digital payments
within just six years. This was more than a new payment method; it was a powerful catalyst for inclusion.
The sight of street vendors and small shop owners using UPI QR codes became commonplace, bringing
millions of micro-entrepreneurs into the formal economy. This massive inclusion was fueled by the JAM
Trinity and innovative regulation by the RBI allowing non-finance tech players to drive UPI payments
through their apps. It resulted in the creation of an ecosystem of over 600 banks and 80 apps
12
innovating
on top of a shared, open infrastructure.
Unlocking New Sectors: GST, FASTag, and Account Aggregator The combinatorial effect extended
beyond payments. Initiatives like GST (Goods and Services Tax) and FASTag, both launched in 2017,
created a unified national market. They streamlined logistics, reduced border wait times, and brought
more micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) into the formal
economy. This was made possible by the solutions provided by market
players, including banks and fintech, leveraging Aadhaar, GSTN and
NETC as digital shared infrastructure. Building on this momentum, the
Account Aggregator (AA) framework, enabled by the RBI in 2021,
unlocked a new wave of fintech innovation with lenders now disbursing
micro-loans in minutes without collateral. By using alternative data from UPI and GSTN, fintechs could
accurately assess risk and offer small, economically viable loans, democratizing access to credit
for millions.
The Hockey-Stick Effect The true power of India’s DPI approach lies not just in its individual
components— shared digital capabilities, market innovation, or mission-
mode programs—but also in their synergistic interaction. By removing
barriers and drastically lowering the cost of transactions, DPI approach
has enabled an explosion of new services, inclusion, and economic
activity that was previously unimaginable. This is the essence of non-
linear growth. The result is a growth trajectory that is not incremental, but rather a “hockey stick” curve,
rapidly accelerating as more people and businesses are onboarded onto this digital infrastructure.
This dynamic has been highlighted by the International Monetary Fund, which notes that India’s digital
journey demonstrates the value of a design approach centred on shared digital building blocks and
ecosystem-wide innovation, generating outsized benefits as adoption deepens and broadens
18
.
From 5 lakh MSMEs
registered under GST in FY
2017-18 they grew to 1.5
crore in December 2024
16
DPI enabled startups
created over $100
billion in market value
17
9DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Strategic Lessons for the Viksit Bharat Roadmap
The learnings from our DPI journey - forged in both success and challenge - are non-negotiable and must
guide our strategy for a Viksit Bharat.
The design of the initiative must keep the end user and ecosystem in mind.
1. A Problem-First Approach, not a Technology-First One: India’s most successful DPI initiatives—
from Aadhaar to UPI—were built to solve a specific,
large-scale problem. We must avoid the “technology
looking for a problem” trap and instead focus
resources on solving real challenges for citizens.
2. Citizen-centric Design for True Inclusion at Scale:
DPI based solutions must be rooted in existing user
behaviours, offering intuitive shifts that make adoption effortless. Due to India’s vast diversity, this
requires a multi-modal interface approach, patient innovation, smart incentives and a long-term
commitment. The behaviour change cannot be drastic. UPI’s success is a prime example: scanning
a QR code was an accessible shift that led to mass adoption. UPI also enabled feature phone and
voice based solutions.
3. A Minimalist Shared Capability for Maximum Innovation: A digital shared capability should be
a minimal, population scale building block that lowers friction and increases trust. This approach
fosters private sector competition and unlocks long-term value far beyond the initial use case, as
demonstrated by UPI through a minimalist payments protocol.
Aadhaar was designed to curb
welfare leakages, not merely as a
tech solution. Its minimalist design
later enabled innovations like
e-KYC, telecom authentication
10DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat 4. A Compelling Value Proposition is the only Driver of Adoption: A DPI initiative’s success hinges
on creating value for all stakeholders: government, businesses, and citizens. To achieve impact at
scale, it needs to meet market economics and result in business growth for businesses. The JAM
Trinity’s success was a direct result of this multi-stakeholder value creation. Building the technology
“plumbing” without a strong “pull” factor for everyone turns a great idea into a stagnant project.
The design needs to be supported by a strategic and agile implementation.
1. Empowered Institutional Setup is Essential: Successful DPI initiatives require independent
institutions with clear mandate, leadership with ecosystem representation and team with relevant
experience. NPCI is an independent section 8 company with the board including public and private
banks. Initially UIDAI was set up as a special body with the right mix of public and private sector
talent. In fact for the long term setup - UIDAI did consider the model of setting up two entities - a
Regulatory body (like RBI) and an Operating body (like NPCI).
2. Government as an Enabler: The government’s primary role is to create an enabling environment via
policy, incentives and aggregated demand. The objective should be to harness private sector
innovation strength to evolve technology, enable diverse solutions and drive ground adoption. DPI
approach does not mean that all the initiatives including the shared infrastructure needs to be
operated by the government. We have already seen multiple models - Government owned
(Aadhaar, DBT); Government regulated/Public-Private operated shared capabilities (UPI - RBI/
NPCI); Government regulated/Private sector
operated shared capabilities (Account Aggregator -
RBI/Sahamati).
3. Mission-Based Programs Drive Adoption:
To achieve impact, specific outcome-oriented
programs like DBT and PMJDY must be set up to drive creation and adoption of diverse solutions
which leverage existing shared capabilities.
4. A Shift from “Project” to “Product” Mindset: Unlike a traditional project with a start and end, a DPI
initiative is a living “product” that requires continuous evolution based on user needs and feedback.
UPI and GST initiatives evolved needs, solutions and shared infrastructure over a period of time. This
mindset is essential for long-term relevance and sustainability.
UPI’s success lies in being a living
product, not a one-time project, with
continuos innovation and ecosystem
support, making india a global leader in
real-time payments
11DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat DPI Approach: The Engine for a
Developed India by 2047
Chapter 02
Building on the lessons of our DPI journey, this chapter defines the DPI approach and explains why it is the
essential engine for a developed India.
DPI Approach - Core Architecture and Principles
19
DPI is a design approach to enable non-linear socio-economic development at scale by leveraging
technology and market innovation across government, non-profit and private organisations. It
prioritizes on creating a level playing field for players of all sizes to innovate and enable diverse inclusive
solutions and services to citizens. The approach recommends addressing structural challenges including
transaction cost, productivity and market expansion.
The core architecture consists of five key enablers as its strategic architecture:
1. Shared Digital Capabilities: Minimalist population scale building blocks that can power diverse
solutions across sectors. Building blocks can be - running shared systems, open standards,
specifications or protocols.
2. Robust Institutional Setup: To ensure continuity, trust, and effective governance. This
includes a legal and institutional framework to drive adoption; ecosystem facilitation; and
participatory governance.
3. Market Participation: A vibrant ecosystem of public, private players of all sizes enabling
competitive innovation and diverse inclusive citizen-centric solutions. Shared digital capabilities
and policies have to ensure players of all types and sizes can participate.
12DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat 4. Regulatory Sandboxes: Offer safe, rapid experimentation zones to test and refine new ideas while
managing risks.
5. Mission-Mode Programs: Driving adoption and usage to achieve well-defined outcomes and
impact at scale.
The architecture is proposed to be implemented using the following design principles:
1. Problem-First Approach: Start with the real and root needs of individuals and businesses, ensuring
meaningful problems are solved rather than creating technology in search of a use.
2. Compelling Value Proposition: Success requires meeting market economics and creating value
for all key stakeholders (citizens, businesses, and government). The DPI must act as a strong “pull”
factor to drive business growth and user adoption.
3. Evolvable - Small Changes, Big Impact: Design solutions that require minimal shifts in user
behavior—a “+1 change”—to ensure rapid adoption and broad scale. Crucially, a DPI initiative must
be treated not as a fixed project but as a living product that evolves continuously based on user
needs and feedback for its long-term relevance and sustainability.
4. Minimalist, Interoperable Building Blocks: Build lean, reusable components that can power
multiple, diverse solutions across sectors and contexts.
5. Federated and Decentralized: Provide autonomy for different players while ensuring seamless
interoperability and cohesion across the ecosystem.
6. Diverse and Inclusive: Enable user choice and ensure equitable access, so every individual and
business can participate and benefit.
7. Security and Privacy by Design: Embed trust at every level by safeguarding privacy and security
from the start, strengthening public confidence in the system.
These principles guide not only how DPI approach is implemented, but also how the initiative evolves,
ensuring that it remains relevant, equitable, and trusted over time.
The Exponential Advantage: Why DPI is Essential for Viksit Bharat
Achieving the ambitious goal of a developed India by 2047 will not be a story of linear progress. It
requires an engine of exponential, non-linear growth. The DPI approach, with its specific architecture and
principles, is that engine. It is uniquely positioned to drive this transformation by fundamentally changing
how our economy functions.
Economics of Shared Digital Infrastructures - a report by University College London (UCL) Institute
for Innovation and Public Purpose and Bennett Institute for Public Policy at Cambridge University
clearly explains the economic value of DPI. It notes “DPI enables a fundamental shift from fragmented
digitalisation towards shared infrastructure that underpins both public and private services… built with
reusable, modular components that scale across government and society. This approach reduces
duplication, enhances efficiency and creates network effects that drive economic value
20
”.
Activates Competitive Innovation
By building minimalist, shared capabilities, the DPI approach lowers the barrier to entry for innovators. As
seen in UPI, a small startup can compete and beat a large company as it no longer needs to spend years
of time and significant capital. Instead, it can build directly on top of the shared digital infrastructure,
focusing its energy on creating novel services for citizens.
Builds Self-Propelling Ecosystems
DPI approach triggers and sustains a self-propelling ecosystem. By enabling shared capabilities, it
creates a powerful “pull factor” where the value proposition for joining the participating ecosystem is so
compelling that adoption becomes market-driven, not government-mandated. The more participants—
from citizens to private businesses—who join the ecosystem, the greater the opportunities become for
13DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat everyone. This shift from a project with a linear timeline to an expanding ecosystem is a key driver of DPI’s
exponential advantage.
Boosts Total Factor Productivity (TFP) A prosperous nation is defined by its overall economic efficiency,
measured by Total Factor Productivity (TFP). TFP is a
measure of an economy’s ability to generate income from
inputs (labour and capital) —to do more with less. The TFP
growth is primarily driven by five factors - Innovation, market
efficiency, public infrastructure, workforce productivity and
public institutions.
DPI as a design approach enables TFP growth factors to activate productivity-led economic growth.
DPI approach is foundationally rooted in the TFP growth factors. It leverages technology, innovation
and institutional setup to create a level playing field for innovators with the focus to address structural
challenges including transaction cost, productivity and market expansion.
DPI approach allows the entire economy to produce more from the same resources in an accelerated
manner. For more on how DPI approach enables TFP growth, refer to Appendix B.
Ensures Inclusive Growth at Scale
The principles of problem-first, citizen-centric design and inclusivity are not just ideals; they are economic
strategies. By building solutions that are easy to use and relevant to the needs of every citizen, DPI
ensures that the benefits of this non-linear growth are shared widely. This is critical because a developed
nation is defined not just by its wealth but by the equitable distribution of that wealth and opportunity.
The DPI approach, therefore, is the strategic imperative that will enable India to fulfill its vision of a
developed nation by 2047.
By 2030, finance related DPI could
boost low-and middle-income
countries’ combined GDP to $19.2
trillion, up to three years faster
than expected
21
14DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat II. ROADMAP Viksit Bharat by 2047 - India has set itself an audacious goal to become a $30 trillion economy with a per
capita income of $18,000 by 2047. This ambition is not just about economic targets. It is a vision of a truly
inclusive, resilient, and globally competitive society where growth is holistic and beneficial to all.
This vision mandates a collective advancement, where prosperity is shared by all the sections of society,
not just concentrated among the wealthy. This future is characterized by dynamic local economies, and
the entrenched disparity between rural and urban areas being fully removed through shared growth. This
is a vision where innovation is democratized and no citizen is excluded from the progress.
Such an aspiration cannot be met through incremental reforms or linear growth. India must unlock non-
linear, productivity-driven growth while ensuring that the gains of progress are shared inclusively across
all regions and communities.
Two-Phased Approach: DPI 2.0 and DPI 3.0
The country’s journey so far, which can be termed as DPI 1.0, has laid the foundation for citizen welfare
and financial inclusion at population scale. India has, in many ways, already become a digital society. Over
a billion people now use digital identity, hundreds of millions make payments digitally every month, and
welfare delivery, commerce, and citizen services increasingly flow through digital channels.
On this foundation, India must now take the next leap to move from welfare to inclusive prosperity -
become a high-income, high-opportunity, and high-capability society. This requires a phased approach:
The proposed phased approach ensures that a broadbased capable society is established as a foundation
in the next decade, via DPI 2.0, before embarking on the DPI 3.0 journey towards inclusive prosperity.
The subsequent section and chapters in this document focuses on DPI 2.0 - expanding on its scope,
execution strategy and action plan.
DPI@2047: The Roadmap to
Prosperity
Chapter 03
16DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat DPI 2.0 Scope: Target Sectoral Transformations
It is recommended that the DPI 2.0 should focus on areas which have the potential to remove structural
bottlenecks constraining the access and growth of the lower and middle income groups.
Following eight sectoral transformations have been proposed to translate the DPI 2.0 goal of livelihood
empowerment at scale into a measurable roadmap:
Mass Inclusion at scale potential of informal sectors to drive employment and business growth:
1. Scaled Market Expansion for MSMEs through access to market intelligence, widening market
linkages, and simplifying compliance. It aims to help MSMEs formalize and grow-addressing current
challenges of complex compliance processes, limited market visibility and reach. It will help MSMEs
to move beyond survival-driven local trade towards predictable participation in regional and global
value chains - expanding revenues and growth at scale.
2. MSME Jobs finding Local Talent by making them digitally visible with the aim to make job
fulfillment a low cost, high trust transaction. Today, the MSMEs struggle to fulfill their job vacancies
as the local talent is unable to find these jobs due to reliance on traditional informal channels like
intermediaries, posters and word of mouth. By enabling workers access to nearby employment
opportunities, MSMEs will be able to fill positions faster - resulting in growth of local economies.
3. Improved Livelihood for Smallholder Farmers by enabling access to advisory services, market
linkages and credit. This will help farmers to manage unpredictable weather, pest infestations,
improve yields and get better prices for their produce. The aim is to raise income for millions of
smallholder farmers and higher food production; transforming the agriculture sector to tackle three
interconnected problems - poverty, unemployment and food security.
17DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Strengthening Foundations of Human Capability ensuring citizens have skills and well-being necessary
to participate in the economy:
4. Safe Spaces for Learner-Centric Education empowering students, teachers and administrators,
towards realising the NEP’s vision by enabling equitable access to learning materials in local
languages and continuous learning pathways. The aim is to enable upward mobility for learners,
particularly rural and first-generation population, by reducing learning inequities caused by
language barriers, limited access to teachers, mentors and learning resources.
5. Universal Health Coverage to ensure that a single health crisis doesn’t erase a family’s progress
toward financial stability irrespective of their financial status. DPI 2.0 recommends strengthening
the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
Ensuring Systemic Enablers are available to all:
6. Access to Credit for a Billion Indians by maximizing the utilization of monetizable assets for
microcredits. Today, large volumes of individually owned assets remain illiquid or unusable due to
significant transaction cost and friction in loan processing with extensive paperwork. The aim is to
democratise access to credit for small enterprises, farmers, and low-income households to realize
their needs and aspirations.
7. Decentralized Energy Markets enabling effective utilization of renewable sources towards unmet
and growing energy needs. By allowing households and enterprises to produce and sell power, it
reduces energy costs, creates new income streams through local entrepreneurship.
8. Benefits finding Beneficiaries ensuring timely and inclusive access to social benefits for all eligible
citizens. Currently, applicants struggle due to high cost and friction of discovery and application
resulting in eligible beneficiaries left out while a significant portion of benefits remain unutilised. The
aim is to remove the burden of discovery and application significantly and strengthen DBT efforts in
ensuring social benefits achieve its full impact for the target population.
Together, these transformations provide the necessary growth potential across India’s diverse social and
economic contexts to achieve the DPI 2.0 goal.
Delivering these transformations will require a coherent execution strategy for DPI 2.0 as detailed in the
next chapter.
18DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat III. EXECUTION
STRATEGY
FOR DPI 2.0 The window for achieving DPI 2.0 transformations is just a decade. Achieving multi-sector growth at this
scale demands a radical focus on accelerated transformations and the intentional growth of entirely new
digital ecosystems. The DPI approach is necessary but not sufficient, as India currently lacks a sufficient
local ecosystem of entrepreneurs and businesses ready to meet the new digital demand.
To translate the DPI 2.0 into a national reality, we recommend driving the sectoral transformations
through four interconnected critical imperatives with DPI approach as the overall foundation. They
establish the essential conditions—market capacity, decentralized accelerated adoption, and AI
amplification—to achieve the sectoral transformations.
# 1: Aggregate Demand via District Programs
Achieving the compounding effect of DPI 2.0 requires establishing strong, self-sustaining local economies
as the foundation. India’s vastness and extreme contextual diversity—where a single state rivals
a continent and many of our 780+ districts are comparable in scale and diversity to small or mid-size
nations—mean that a centralized approach is insufficient.
Therefore, we recommend executing the DPI roadmap through decentralized, district-level programs.
This ensures that adoption and usage are driven at the grassroots, where needs and contexts vary most.
District-level programs will engage the local ecosystem—local government, users, civil societies, industry
consortiums, local businesses, and tech entrepreneurs—to aggregate socio-economic transaction needs
and enable contextual solutions.
The Four Key Imperatives
Chapter 04
20DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat These programs serve two critical functions:
1. Local Adoption: Linking the DPI roadmap to district-level development goals ensures that
solutions are hyper-localized and contextually relevant. This is essential for converting inclusion into
active usage.
2. Demand Aggregation (Market Pull): These district programs aggregate demand for DPI-based
solutions. This decentralized, predictable demand acts as the single largest incentive for tech
entrepreneurs, providing a secure pipeline of work. This process intentionally drives immediate
adoption and helps grow tech entrepreneurs and MSMEs at the local level.
# 2: Scale Tech Entrepreneurship
One of the key enablers of DPI approach is market participation. However, the current scale of the
tech entrepreneurs in India is insufficient to meet the DPI 2.0 goal. To achieve this, India will need to
dramatically expand its base of technology entrepreneurs who can deliver DPI-aligned products and
services. The goal is to build a distributed innovation engine that ensures every sector and district has
access to capable suppliers, developers, and innovators who can respond to the aggregated demand.
This involves activating the capacity lever through the following actions:
1. Acceleration and Incubation: Leverage existing incubators and accelerators to explicitly focus on
DPI-based solutions. This dedicated support is necessary to rapidly scale up supply capacity to
meet the aggregated demand emanating from district-based programs.
2. Mission-Focused R&D: Direct R&D capacity toward solving the specific, mission-critical problems
of DPI 2.0. Towards this, create innovation clusters by actively directing R&D setups (in academia
and the private sector) to ensure that research outputs are localized, immediately relevant, and fed
directly into the market.
3. Policy and Regulation: Implementing specific policy and regulatory changes to procurement and
standards that favor rapid, competitive growth among these new, local market entrants.
If entrepreneurial innovation is unleashed, India could witness a dynamic shift with the emergence of
one million startups by 2035, from the current 150,000 with an expected annual growth rate of 20%
22
,
many from beyond traditional metropolitan centers. This vibrant entrepreneurial landscape would boost
incomes and service quality across sectors, drive innovation at scale, and help India become an $8 trillion
economy by 2035.
# 3: Leverage AI Momentum
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the most significant productivity engine in human history, offering the
potential to solve complex, deeply rooted systemic problems that inhibit inclusive growth. Enabling the
use of AI through the DPI approach—making it accessible to every entrepreneur and beneficial to every
citizen—can create a momentum of exponential order required to achieve DPI@2047 goals. By making AI
a strategic imperative for accelerated adoption, India ensures its execution strategy is future-proof and
rapidly becomes a global leader in AI use cases.
21DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat # 4: Deploy Cross-Sector Strategic Unlocks
The sectoral transformations outlined in the DPI 2.0 scope face a common set of structural bottlenecks:
fragmented data systems, high cost of trust and transactions, limited market access, knowledge gaps
and language barriers. To address these common systemic problems at speed and scale we recommend
deploying four cross-sectoral strategic unlocks:
As these unlocks are implemented, the different elements of DPI architecture will interact and compound
each other’s value. This collaboration, addressing deep-rooted socio-economic frictions, unlocks entirely
new services and economic opportunities that were previously impossible. This is required not only for
massive inclusive growth in DPI 2.0 but also for the critical transition to widespread prosperity in DPI 3.0.
The Chapter 5 details these four strategic unlocks.
22DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat As described in the previous chapter, one of the key imperatives of execution strategy is deploying four
cross-sector strategic unlocks: Unlocking Data, Democratizing AI, Enhancing Human Capacity, and
Expanding Digital Transactions. When combined together, they can unlock the structural bottlenecks
across sectors and enable DPI 2.0 sectoral transformations.
The following sections describe each unlock in terms of capabilities it should aim to enable, its potential
impact and key implementation considerations for realising the unlock inline with the execution strategy.
# 1: Unlocking Data
Across DPI 2.0 priority sectors such as agriculture, MSMEs, Education, Health — vast amounts of
relevant data already exist. Yet much of it remains siloed, inaccessible and unusable. Enabling use of data
responsibly is essential for timely insights, improving productivity and expanding market opportunities for
individuals, enterprises, and institutions.
Detailing Cross-Sector Strategic
Unlocks
Chapter 05
23DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat What types of data to focus on?
We need to focus on both public and private data sources. The data to unlock can be classified into
three categories:
1. Non-personal data such as climate and weather information, soil data, geospatial layers, local
market prices, or disease surveillance trends. When this data becomes more accessible it supports
better advisories, more accurate forecasting, and stronger planning across sectors like agriculture,
health, energy.
2. Anonymized and Aggregated data, such as indicators derived from GST filings, mobility flows,
district-level learning outcomes, energy demand patterns or aggregated credit patterns. This
helps reveal broader trends without identifying individuals or businesses. These datasets can help
identify market trends-allowing MSMEs to expand, policymakers, regulators, to understand market
behaviour, identify risks and gaps.
3. Personal and Transactional data, when shared securely and with informed consent, enables
individuals and enterprises to prove their identity, skills, eligibility, and performance. Learning
histories, health records, job experience, invoices, repayments and service-delivery footprints can
all help people access opportunities, - jobs, credit, markets, benefits, and services — more easily.
When this data becomes portable and verifiable, it reduces friction, strengthens trust, and allows
citizens and enterprises to carry their records across platforms and providers.
These datasets represent powerful but underutilised resources. Data is the new additional currency
of the digital economy which needs to be harnessed for social good - to create value for individuals,
communities, and small enterprises through secure, governed, and trusted frameworks for
sharing and reuse.
What should it aim to enable?
To unlock data, we recommend focusing on enabling the following:
1. Actionable Insights
Unlocking data should make it possible to access and derive timely and meaningful insights from
diverse sources of both non-personal and aggregated data. Today, such data remains locked within
departmental silos or buried in non-standard formats, making it difficult to analyse or use. Data becomes
more accessible and interoperable when it is machine-readable, ready for AI use, organised through
open specifications, and supported by simple policies that enable safe and consistent exchange across
systems. These approaches help data flow more easily, enabling AI systems and analytics tools to convert
raw information into actionable, localised intelligence. This can improve productivity and expand markets.
2. Ability to Prove Credentials in a Low-cost, High-trust Manner
Unlocking data must strengthen trust in transactions by enabling individuals and enterprises to prove who
they are, what they are eligible for, and what they have —securely and with consent.
Most verification today relies on manual checks, fragmented records, or personal networks, leading to
delays, exclusion, and high transaction costs. When data becomes portable, verifiable, and anchored in
clear safeguards, it reduces transaction cost significantly making additional market segments viable and
allowing the formalization expansion in multiple sectors - benefits reaching more beneficiaries, workers
can prove their skills, and enterprises can demonstrate compliance in a low cost and high trust manner.
Trust can be strengthened through mechanisms such as consented data sharing, real-time online
verification where appropriate (such as eKYC-type checks), offline or asynchronous verification through
verifiable credentials.
For tradable and monetisable assets such as energy units, carbon credits, real estate, gold, or fine art—
tokenization can also be used for secured exchange across systems, expanding access to credit and new
forms of economic opportunity.
24DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Key considerations for implementation
1. Use-case Driven District-level Ecosystems
The value of data is unlocked only when it is used in real, high-value use cases—such as farmer advisories,
market intelligence for MSMEs or teacher support. Districts are the natural unit where citizens, markets,
and government programs intersect. When local institutions, entrepreneurs, and solution providers work
around concrete problems, they create tangible demand for data use. This ensures that data unlock
efforts stay grounded in real-world needs, not in abstract system design.
2. A Sustainable Data Economy
Building a sustainable data economy is a mandatory pre-condition to ensure that value flows to every
stakeholder—data custodians, solution builders, and end users. Following three aspects are critical to
achieve that:
a. Incubate and grow data aggregators - commercial or public-interest entities - with sustainable
business models who will combine datasets, improve quality, and make them usable for
analytics and AI.
b. Activate data custodians - private and public - with relevant incentives to unlock data safely and in a
federated way.
c. Set clear terms of use for all actors regulated by existing or new regulators in the respective sectors.
# 2: Democratizing AI
Artificial Intelligence is transforming what is possible across every sector. It can solve problems of
processing huge volumes of data, reducing knowledge and capacity gaps, making digital systems more
accessible, and automate repetitive cognitive tasks. These capabilities were previously inaccessible
or prohibitively costly at scale. When combined with DPI, AI amplifies the value of data and knowledge
across sectors—helping farmers receive customised crop advice, enabling MSMEs to navigate markets,
supporting teachers and learners and improving access to social benefits.
As highlighted by Nandan Nilekani in AI will change India, and India will change AI, in The Economist,
2025
23
, India’s greatest contribution to the world may come from developing AI systems that work at
population scale, grounded in local languages, institutional trust, and real-world use cases.
What should it aim to enable?
To realise the potential of AI, we recommend focusing on enabling the following:
1. Predictive Intelligence for Insights and Risk Management
India’s sectors have long operated mostly in a reactive mode. AI can change this. It can analyse patterns
across different datasets to surface early signals—allowing people and institutions to act in advance.
For example, an MSME using anonymised district-level transaction trends can anticipate a rise in local
demand two weeks in advance, and increase production to meet the demand. Such anticipatory insights
shift systems from reacting to events toward making timely decisions that enable growth, reduce risk and
improve outcomes.
2. Personalised Guidance - Always Available for Citizens
While knowledge exists across sectors, people often struggle to get timely help when making everyday
decisions—whether it is a farmer choosing the right input, a parent navigating school admissions, a worker
interpreting a job requirement, or a small merchant trying to comply with a new rule. Limitation of human
capacity, capability and access to experts is a significant bottleneck for a large population.
AI must become a first-response assistant to help people make better decisions in their specific context.
A farmer asking, “What should I do about this pest?”, a shop owner wondering “What’s the demand for
my product next month?”, or a teacher unsure about a new classroom procedure - should all get clear,
localised contextualized trusted guidance instantly.
25DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat This requires AI systems that understand local data, local language, and local knowledge—bringing
expert support to people who have never had access to specialists.
3. Language AI to Bridge Digital and Language Barriers
Irrespective of the level of language and digital literacy - every Indian is comfortable with verbal
engagement in their language. AI has the potential to enable voice as a de facto interface for every Indian
to engage with technology. This is a paradigm shift for the digital economy making technology to work for
everyone, inclusive by design. Enabling conversations built on translation, speech-to-text, text-to-speech,
and summarisation—must make digital systems intuitive and inclusive, enabling users with varying literacy
levels to access services and information effortlessly. Shared Language AI capabilities such as voice,
translation and conversational interfaces, tailored to Indian languages must be widely available so that
public institutions and innovators can integrate them into services.
Key considerations for implementation
While AI has made significant progress, globally only 10-30% of AI based POCs move successfully into
production
24
with a few handful large tech organizations shaping the AI. We must address structural
barriers such as access to affordable compute, quality data sets, India specific models and safety
frameworks for AI to reach every citizen and sector.
1. Open Data for Training
AI systems can deliver context-aware outcomes only when they are trained on high-quality,
representative datasets. Creating such training datasets is therefore fundamental for creating India
specific AI models by a diverse set of tech players. This requires the enabling of sourcing, contribution and
curation of open training datasets, by both public institutions and private ecosystem players, covering
priority domains and populations.
2. Affordable Compute
Affordable and predictable access to compute is essential for AI adoption, especially for researchers,
small innovators and public institutions. India’s IndiaAI Mission is already working towards this. Builders
need access to the right kind of AI compute along with simple onboarding, affordable pricing, and
transparent service levels. Compute becomes truly democratised when these resources are easy
to access, fit for purpose, and available for public-interest different sizes of workloads, not only for
large actors.
3. AI Models for Indian Context
India needs AI models that understand its languages, cultural and domain contexts. This requires a
strategic focus on the scaling of tech entrepreneurship imperative described in the execution strategy
with three mutually reinforcing elements:
• Expanding India’s AI entrepreneurship base: India must significantly grow its pool of AI builders
and startups capable of delivering India-specific models and tools. These entrepreneurs form the
distributed innovation engine needed to respond to DPI-aligned demand emerging from districts
and sectors. India’s AI mission is already taking steps in this direction by encouraging local model
development.
• Demand driven AI Research: Aggregated demand emerging from states and districts should drive
the research priorities. Creating innovation clusters by actively directing R&D setups (in academia
and the private sector) ensure that research outputs address these priorities. The research outputs
can then flow into entrepreneurial ecosystems, where they are translated into deployable solutions.
• Strategic engagement with global AI players: Though leading global AI companies have large
investments, AI talent and advanced AI capabilities, they are looking for the use cases to solve
in order to become commercially viable. Aggregated demand via DPI 2.0, across agriculture,
health, education, and MSMEs, provides an unique opportunity for India to steer global players
26DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat to co-develop models “in India, for India,” working alongside domestic startups and academic
institutions. The Aadhaar program did similar market shaping in the biometric space.
4. Tools and Standards for Safe AI
As AI systems enter high-stakes domains, trust and safety become highly critical. Developers and
institutions need tools for evaluation, red-teaming, bias assessment, and monitoring. Developing
frameworks, standards and tools for transparent evaluation, and simple operational guidelines
help institutions deploy AI responsibly without adding heavy compliance burdens. This ensures AI
deployments are trustworthy, transparent, and aligned with public values.
5. Strengthening AI talent
AI transformation depends on strengthening talent across three types of stakeholders: builders who
create AI solutions, government officials who adopt and apply them, and policymakers who set the
guardrails for safe and effective use.
Democratizing AI requires practical skilling for each of the stakeholder groups for effective solutioning,
usage as well as governance.
# 3: Enhancing Human Capacity
Across sectors, people often struggle to figure out the answer to their question from existing data and
knowledge —whether a teacher preparing for a class, a student trying to grasp a concept, a farmer trying
to figure out when to sow seeds, or a small business owner handling compliance. Unfortunately availability
and access to experts and guides is also limited, especially for folks with limited financial means.
Enhancing human capacity at scale means ensuring that people receive contextual guidance when they
need it and ongoing learning that helps them build skills over time, making capacity building inclusive
and lifetime.
What should it aim to enable?
1. Actionable, Contextual Knowledge at the Moment of Need
Knowledge should be easy to discover, tailored to a person’s situation, and simplified into steps they can
apply immediately—in the language and format they understand.
For example, a government school teacher who wants to teach a new chapter receives an instant, simple
explanation of the learning objective, a short demonstration video, and two recommended activities
tailored to her grade and language—right when she needs them.
2. Continuous Learning and Upskilling through Real-time Guidance
People should be able to strengthen their skills and confidence while performing their day-to-day roles.
This means that teachers can refine their instruction practices over time, agricultural field functionaries
can better diagnose crop issues —all through timely nudges, clarifications, and feedback that help them
improve with each task. This progression must be enabled in the languages and modalities that users are
most comfortable with, so that learning happens naturally and continuously.
Key considerations for implementation
1. Use of AI to Deliver Knowledge in a Contextual, Simple and Usable Form
This builds on the broader democratization of AI described in the previous section, which makes AI
capabilities accessible for use across sectors. AI plays a catalytic role in enhancing human capacity as it
can convert institutional knowledge into actionable steps with personalised explanations. For example,
a shopkeeper filing a GST return can ask the AI based assistant, “What do I do next?” and receive a clear,
context-specific sequence of steps instead of navigating long manuals—just as teachers and students
receive subject-specific guidance in real time.
27DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat 2. A Well-governed Ecosystem of Diverse, Trusted Knowledge Resources
Enhancing human capacity requires a reliable pool of accountable knowledge—both existing and newly
created—that can be easily discovered, reused, and adapted across contexts. This can include curated
policies, manuals, demonstrations, explainers, and multimedia learning content. When these resources are
made discoverable, up-to-date, and published in reusable formats, they become accessible for use by
people and for powering AI-based guidance.
For example, agriculture departments and KVKs may publish pest advisories, dosage recommendations,
and demonstration videos in reusable formats. A farmer or extension worker can instantly access a short
video on identifying a new pest outbreak along with the recommended action—either directly or via an
AI assistant.
# 4: Expanding Digital Transactions
Across India’s local economies, a large share of everyday socio-economic transactions—finding work,
accessing services, selling produce or applying for benefits—remain informal and not digitally enabled.
These interactions often rely on personal networks, intermediaries, paper records, or closed platforms,
making them difficult to discover, verify, or scale. This creates a large hidden economy - estimated at
20–30% of national GDP
25
.
As a result, transaction costs remain high, market access is limited, and growth is constrained. Small
enterprises and informal actors are unable to participate in larger value chains, reducing productivity and
preventing economic activity from scaling.
While other strategic unlocks reduce the cost, trust, and usability of digital interactions—through
verified data, AI-enabled interfaces, and consent-based systems—people and organisations must be
able to participate digitally in the first place. This foundational constraint is addressed here by enabling
transactions to scale across a wider and more diverse set of participants, making formalisation faster,
easier, and more inclusive. At population scale, this expansion of digital transactions is critical to achieving
the non-linear growth envisioned under DPI 2.0.
What should it aim to enable?
1. Unbundling Demand and Supply through Open Networks
Today, often demand (people seeking work, services, goods, or benefits) and supply (providers, workers,
institutions) are tightly bundled within closed platforms. These platforms are responsible for end-to-end
transactions—discovery, coordination, and fulfilment—making participation costly and limiting scale. As
a result, only large providers can participate meaningfully, while small providers face restricted market
access. Consumers, in turn, are limited to the options offered within a single platform.
Expanding digital transactions requires unbundling demand and supply through a network-based
approach. Interoperable transaction networks allow demand and supply to be broadcast, discovered, and
matched across multiple platforms and channels. Providers can reach demand through multiple channels,
and consumers can discover and engage with providers through different interfaces—while retaining
choice over how and where interactions occur.
Shift from platform-centric models to network-enabled participation, allows to:
• Expand market access at significantly lower cost.
• Reduce the cost of doing business by avoiding repeated integrations and intermediaries.
• Combine different types of offers—jobs, services, credit, logistics, benefits—to serve diverse and
long-tail needs more inclusively.
28DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat 2. Digital Enablement of Physical Entities
For these network-enabled transactions to be inclusive at scale, the underlying physical entities—
individuals, MSMEs, cooperatives, panchayats, service providers—must be digitally enabled to participate.
This means ability to broadcast who they are, what they offer, what they seek in a credible way.
When entities are digitally enabled, they can participate in multiple platforms and programs without
repeated onboarding or manual verification. This becomes a prerequisite for transacting digitally—
especially for small and informal actors who are otherwise excluded due to lack of documentation
or visibility.
Key considerations for implementation
1. Enable Ecosystem-led Network Operation
Unbundling demand and supply through open networks requires ecosystem-led network operation,
where shared transaction networks are designed, governed, and operated by dedicated ecosystem
players rather than controlled by any single platform or market participant.
Such network operation provides common rails for broadcasting, discovering, and engaging across
platforms, while ensuring open access, interoperability, and non-discriminatory participation. This
approach reduces fragmentation, lowers integration costs, and prevents gatekeeping—while still allowing
competition and innovation at the application layer.
2. Drive District-level Digital Enablement of Entities
Transaction networks only succeed when a critical mass of local entities can participate meaningfully. This
requires focused district-level initiatives to digitally enable individuals and organisations who form the
backbone of local economies.
Districts are the natural unit where local markets, livelihoods, and public programs intersect, making them
the most effective level for driving adoption at scale. Digital enablement is driven by actors who verify
entities, issue credentials, onboard them onto networks, and support initial participation and activation —
functions that may be performed by local governments, NGOs, industry bodies, or market players.
29DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat This section outlines DPI 2.0 sectoral transformations and offers recommendations for leveraging
strategic unlocks to achieve them. These are not detailed implementation blueprints, but strategic
directions towards actioning the transformations.
# 1: Scaled Market Expansion for MSMEs
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of India’s economy, comprising 6.3
crore enterprises, contributing 30% to GDP, over 40% to exports
26
,
and employing around 110 million
people
27
. Yet, MSMEs constrained by complex compliance processes, limited access to market and credit,
are unable to grow and are discouraged to formalize.
What is the transformation?
DPI 2.0 recommends enabling MSMEs to move from fragmented, hyper-local markets to scaled
market expansion and growth. By enabling access to market intelligence, widening market linkages,
and simplifying compliance, DPI 2.0 can help at least 10 million enterprises to grow and fuel job
creation as well
28
.
By reducing information asymmetry, compliance and transaction friction, MSMEs can move beyond
survival-driven local trade towards predictable participation in regional and global value chains—
strengthening competitiveness, improving productivity, and unlocking non-linear growth.
What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
1. AI-Driven Market Intelligence: By combining enterprise data, trade flows, and consumer trends,
MSMEs can access real-time insight into demand patterns, pricing, and buyer discovery. AI-enabled
assistants help entrepreneurs identify opportunities, benchmark performance, and make informed
decisions in local languages. (Unlocking Data + Democratizing AI + Enhancing Human Capacity)
2. Market expansion through Digital Networks: Open, interoperable transaction networks allow digitally
enabled MSMEs to be discovered across demand channels, logistics platforms, procurement systems,
and export channels—without being locked into a single platform or limited by physical constraints of
Sectoral Transformations: Strategic
Unlocks in Action
Chapter 06
30DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat customer reach. This dramatically lowers entry barriers and enables even micro-enterprises to reach
wider markets. (Expanding Digital Transactions Unlock)
3. Digital Compliance Enablement: AI-assisted compliance systems simplify filings, auto-generate
reports, and validate submissions using verified enterprise data and digital credentials. This reduces
compliance burdens, encourages formalisation, and builds a verifiable enterprise profile. (Unlocking Data
+ Democratizing AI + Enhancing Human Capacity)
# 2: MSME Jobs Finding Local Talent
India’s blue and grey collar labour market remains highly fragmented and informal. Most hiring is mediated
through informal channels — local contractors, intermediaries or word-of-mouth. While many MSMEs
cite manpower unavailability and skill shortages as major constraints to growth, many local job seekers
are unaware of the unfilled opportunities
29
. In addition, MSMEs face high costs often over `1,000 per
lead and long lead times that can stretch two weeks or more per lead to find qualified candidates. Job
seekers missing out on local opportunities are forced to migrate or settle for jobs that do not match their
aspirations.
What is the transformation?
The MSME jobs market can be largely categorised as low income, high job volume with high churn rate. It
requires a transformative approach which is grounded in reducing the transaction access friction and cost
significantly.
The transformation focuses on making local jobs, job seekers & their skills digitally visible, comparable,
and matchable in a credible way through trusted local employment digital networks. The aim is to make
job discovery and fulfillment significantly a low cost transaction. This expands access to nearby and
appropriate work for job seekers, and strengthens local economies.
What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
1. Digitally Enabled Job Seekers: Enabling a job seeker to broadcast who they are, their skills, certifications,
work history and what they are seeking in a credible way as a “blue dot”. This creates “Know Your Applicant”
(KYA) capability for employers reducing manual verification, and cost of trust. (Unlocking Data + Expanding
Digital Transactions Unlock)
2. Digitally Enabled MSMEs: Enabling MSMEs to broadcast who they are, what the job opportunities are,
required skills, wages, and location. (Unlocking Data + Expanding Digital Transactions Unlock)
3. Digital Employment Networks: Federated local digital employment networks connecting digitally
enabled MSMEs and job seekers —enabling seamless job discovery and fulfillment. These networks ensure
that skills supply and demand are visible and actionable at the local level. (Unlocking Data + Expanding
Digital Transactions Unlock)
31DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat 4. Vernacular AI-powered Job Assistants: AI assistants help job seekers to apply for jobs easily, in their
own language and through voice assistance. They also help MSMEs to reduce the cost of evaluating and
filtering suitable candidates for their job fulfillment. (Democratizing AI + Enhancing Human Capacity)
# 3: Improved Livelihood for Smallholder Farmers
Agriculture and its allied sectors remain the backbone of rural livelihoods in India, with nearly 70% of rural
households primarily depending on them for income. India’s agricultural sector employs over 45% of
the workforce, yet contributed only about 18%
30
to the GDP (in 2023-24). Over 85% smallholder farmers
continue to operate at subsistence levels
31
, with a meagre average monthly income of `13,661, and only
`4,476
32
coming directly from agriculture.
These gaps exist because farmers operate in an environment marked by fragmented information, volatile
weather, limited access to market and credit, and difficulty obtaining timely benefits, leading to low-yield
and lower price realization.
What is the transformation?
The transformation enables farmers to increase their yield and access to the better price for their
produce. It aims to achieve it by enabling timely climate and farming advisories in their context to manage
weather risks, along with better access to markets—so they can discover fair prices, reliable buyers, and
efficient storage and logistics. In addition, enabling easy access to credit and timely benefits for their
working capital needs.
32DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
1. Agriculture Registries: Enabling agriculture related digital registries - including farmer information,
land records, soil data enables precision advisory, insurance, and credit services. (Unlocking Data +
Expanding Digital Transactions)
2. AI-Powered Advisory Assistants: AI assistants can provide contextualized, voice-based guidance on
crop management, weather risks, and pest outbreaks. They can also help farmers access loans, insurance,
and welfare schemes in their own language—turning complex information into personalized, actionable
advice at the moment of need. (Democratizing AI + Enhancing Human Capacity)
3. Digital Networks for Agri Services: Interoperable digital networks connect farmers directly with
buyers, input suppliers, logistics providers, finance services and agri-tech innovators. These networks
enable price realization, reduce dependence on intermediaries, and enable transparent, traceable
transactions. (Expanding Digital Transactions)
4. Digital Credit Access: Verified digital farmer profiles linking land, crop cycles, and transaction history
enable collateral-light lending, faster claim settlement, and more accurate credit assessments. This
expands financial inclusion enabling farmers to working capital. (Unlocking Data + Expanding Digital
Transactions)
# 4: Decentralized Energy Markets
India’s energy demand is already three times the global average
33
.The country remains heavily dependent
on imported fossil fuels, leaving it vulnerable to price shocks and supply disruptions. Without adequate
renewable backup, rising power cuts are expected by 2027
34
. At the same time, India has a natural
advantage: nearly 300 sunny days a year
35
and strong policy momentum through initiatives such as the
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
Yet, despite rapid rooftop solar adoption, distributed energy remains underutilised. Households and small
enterprises lack real-time visibility into generation and consumption, face limited mechanisms to monetise
surplus power, and depend on fragmented systems that do not support seamless energy transactions. As
a result, decentralised energy assets exist—but do not yet function as a market.
33DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat What is the transformation?
DPI 2.0 can transform India’s energy landscape by creating a trusted, digital ecosystem where energy
assets and services are visible, verifiable, and tradable. This will enable decentralised energy markets
where households and enterprises can produce, store, and sell renewable power directly to verified
buyers such as EV charging stations, small businesses and individuals through trusted transactions —
much like how UPI democratized payments.
What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
• Tokenisation of Energy Assets: Intangible assets such as rooftop solar, battery storage and carbon
credits are converted into digital tokens that can be traded or exchanged - allowing individuals and
enterprises to monetise surplus energy and green assets. (Unlocking Data)
• Digital Energy Networks: Trusted, interoperable digital networks match local energy supply and
demand in real time. They allow certified producers to sell surplus power directly to the verified
buyers. (Expanding Digital Transactions)
# 5: Access to Credit for a Billion Indians
As of 2023 only 20% of MSMEs had access to formal credit
36
, and over half of the urban poor still rely on
informal moneylenders
37
.
The Account Aggregator (AA) framework
38
initiative is already unlocking a new
wave of fintech innovation to disburse micro-loans using alternative data from UPI and GSTN.
34DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat However large volumes of monetizable individually owned assets remain illiquid and unusable for formal
credit, leaving entrepreneurial capacity underutilised. There is an opportunity to unlock these assets by
enabling multiple microcredits as well as addressing significant friction in loan processing due to rigid
collateral requirements, extensive paperwork, and static risk assessments, as a result.
What is the transformation?
DPI 2.0 focuses on making individual owned assets productive by enabling access to multiple
microcredits maximizing the utilization of asset value as a collateral, in a low friction manner.
It recommends achieving this by digitally representing monetizable assets - such as land holdings,
invoices, receivables, carbon credits, and transaction histories - which can be fractionally claimed, and
securely shared, allowing even small or partial assets to support access to credit.
This transformation democratises access to credit for small enterprises, farmers, and low-income
households—reducing dependence on informal lenders, lowering the cost of capital, and unlocking new
pathways for livelihoods, growth, and innovation.
What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
• Financial Ledgers of Tokens: Monetizable assets—such as land records, invoices, receivables,
carbon credits, or verified transaction histories—can be digitally represented and transacted on
shared financial ledgers that record assets, money, and obligations together. This enables assets
to be divisible, portable, and reusable across financial services, allowing lenders to assess value,
manage risk, and extend credit even for small ticket sizes. (Unlocking Data)
• Open Ledger Protocols and Specifications: Open ledger protocols and specifications enable
seamless interoperability across a network of ledgers and financial service providers. They ensure
the integrity and consistency of transactions, providing finality that once a transaction, such as an
asset transfer, is completed, it is secure and irreversible. (Expanding Digital Transactions)
35DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat # 6: Safe Spaces for Learner-Centric Education
Education is central to achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047, fueling human capacity, productivity, and social
mobility, especially for lower-income groups striving for better livelihoods. India’s education system
serves close to 250 million school students
39
and 40 million higher education learners across diverse
geographies and socio-economic backgrounds
40
. Despite near-universal enrollment, foundational
learning outcomes remain low — with the 2022 ASER survey showing that only 42% of Class V students
can read a Class II text
41
.
Learning inequities persist due to language barriers, uneven teacher capacity and limited access to locally
relevant learning resources. These structural gaps hinder productivity, upward mobility, and lifelong
learning opportunities, particularly for rural and first-generation learners. Furthermore, traditional one-
size-fits-all approaches and psychological barriers like fear of failure prevent many learners from reaching
their full potential.
What is the transformation?
DPI 2.0 helps realize the NEP’s aim to strengthen learner-centric education by empowering students,
teachers as well as administrators. This can be achieved through equitable access to quality learning
materials in local languages, fostering judgement-free safe spaces for continuous personalized learning
that adapt to each student’s unique needs and strengths and learn at their own pace without fear of
falling behind. Teachers can deliver truly individualized support, improving learning outcomes across
diverse classrooms. Administrators create better interventions through actionable insights using various
data sources.
36DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
1. Education Resources Network: Enable discoverability and reuse of verified educational resources
across boards, states, and providers through a federated infrastructure — linking digital content
repositories, educational data, and institutional registries to promote interoperability and evidence-based
decision-making. (Unlocking Data, Expanding Digital Transactions)
2. AI-Powered Learning Assistants: Provide contextual, curriculum-aligned, and language-inclusive learning
and insights to students, teachers and administrators. These assistants deliver personalized explanations,
practice exercises, feedback loops and actionability using insights. (Enhancing Human Capacity)
3. Verifiable Learning Credentials: Enable seamless recognition of learning across institutions through
portable, verifiable digital credentials for courses, skills, and assessments. These credentials strengthen
student and teacher mobility. (Unlocking Data)
# 7: Universal Health Coverage
Nearly 30% of India’s population—the “missing middle”—remains uninsured
42
facing a very high risk of
ruining the financial wellbeing of the family due to a health incident. And the same risk is faced even by
millions of insured families due to high out-of-pocket expenditure, 39.4% of total health spending
43
.
What is the transformation?
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) means all people have access to the full range of quality health services
they need, when and where they need them, without suffering financial hardship. UHC protects the
economic gains of DPI 2.0, ensuring that a single health crisis doesn’t erase a family’s progress toward
financial stability.
UHC has many aspects including - coverage of a full continuum of essential health services throughout a
person’s life for every citizen; implementation design of insurance to truly promote preventive care; robust
health care service provider network.
The Ayushman Bharat Mission with a goal to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has made
significant progress so far. It is important to strengthen and accelerate the mission further to achieve the
UHC by 2030.
We recommend DPI 2.0 to focus on strengthening and fast-tracking the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
(ABDM) which is already working towards developing digital health infrastructure for the country.
37DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
ABDM is already enabling following:
• Digital Healthcare Registries: Digital healthcare registries for professionals and facilities.
(Unlocking Data)
• Digital Health Records: Creation of individual health records linked with digital health ID - ABHA
Number. (Unlocking Data)
• Digital Health Networks: Networks for citizens to discover and access health service providers,
shared digital health records and settle insurance claims. (Expanding Digital Transactions)
DPI 2.0 strategic unlocks can further strengthen the ABDM mission with following:
• Diagnostic AI Assistants: AI can help process large amounts of health data to help doctors for early
detection and better diagnostics for patients. (Data Unlock, Democratizing AI)
• Healthcare Worker AI Assistants: Equip ASHAs and primary care providers with AI-enabled tools
for assessment and clinical guidance and engagement in regional languages. (Democratizing AI,
Enhancing Human Capacity)
• AI-Powered Public Health Management: Anonymized health data can be analyzed by AI systems
to generate insights that help disease surveillance & early detection of outbreaks. (Data Unlock,
Democratizing AI)
ABDM can also consider aggregating demand via district programs as suggested by DPI 2.0 Execution
Strategy to enable its adoption and usage at the grassroots level.
# 8: Benefits finding Beneficiaries
As India advances toward Viksit Bharat, social protection must evolve into a proactive enabler of
aspiration and upward mobility. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has transformed the last-mile welfare
delivery by digitizing fund transfers and reducing leakages.
Now we have to focus on improving the discovery and application. Citizens struggle to discover
relevant schemes, prove eligibility, and navigate complex, paper-heavy procedures—often in unfamiliar
languages—creating friction and delay. A significant portion of India’s scholarship budget remains
unutilised, amounting to thousands of crores.
What is the transformation?
To enable end to end benefit realization process, it requires a transformative approach which is grounded
in reducing the transaction access friction and cost significantly. This transformation focuses on making
potential beneficiaries digitally visible, comparable, and matchable in a credible way through trusted
digital beneficiary networks. It would also enable automatic enrollment and pre-filling applications,
38DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat minimizing the effort and burden on citizens. The aim is to make benefits discovery and fulfillment
significantly a low cost transaction.
What can enable this leveraging the strategic unlocks?
1. Digitally Enabled Beneficiaries: Enabling a potential beneficiary to broadcast who they are, their
certifications and what they are seeking in a credible way as a “blue dot”. This creates “Know Your
Applicant” (KYA) capability for benefit providers reducing manual verification, and cost of trust.
(Unlocking Data + Expanding Digital Transactions Unlock)
2. Digitally Enabled Benefit Providers: Enabling benefit providers to broadcast who they are, what the
benefits are, required qualifications etc. (Unlocking Data + Expanding Digital Transactions Unlock)
3. Digital Beneficiary Networks: Federated local digital beneficiary networks connecting digitally
enabled benefit providers and potential beneficiaries —enabling seamless benefit discovery and
fulfillment. (Unlocking Data + Expanding Digital Transactions Unlock)
4. Vernacular AI-powered Benefit Assistants: AI assistants help beneficiaries to apply for benefits easily,
in their own language and through voice assistance. They also help benefit providers to reduce the cost
of evaluating and filtering suitable candidates eligible for their benefits. (Democratizing AI + Enhancing
Human Capacity)
39DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat IV. CALL TO
ACTION Recommended Action Plan for DPI 2.0
Chapter 07
India stands at a once-in-a-generation inflection point. India’s DPI initiatives are already contributing
nearly 1% of GDP and could reach 4% by 2030
44
.
Actioning DPI 2.0 as articulated in the Execution Strategy
(Chapters 4-6) on an immediate basis is critical to get the momentum going for the journey to Viksit
Bharat. We recommend following four actions to achieve that:
#1: Decentralized State-led execution
DPI 2.0 is best advanced through decentralised state led initiatives with Government of India and
NITI Aayog acting as catalysts. As mentioned earlier, India is vast with extreme diversity—where a
single state rivals a continent and our districts comparable to small or mid-size nations. Achieving the
compounding impact envisioned under DPI 2.0 requires developing strong, self-sustaining local
economies keeping their local context in mind. States are best placed to lead the initiative to drive local
growth through district programs.
While ownership and agency of implementation remain with the states, Government of India and
NITI Aayog have an important role to play as a catalyst and enabler - in terms of funding, guidance,
coordination, enabling state support through ecosystem collaboration and co-learning.
#2: Adopt Collaborative 2-year Iterative cycles of Transformations
2-year Iterative cycles of collaboration to drive Sectoral Transformations are recommended to be
executed. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) as a design approach is still unevenly understood across
States, Union Territories and the ecosystem. As States embark on the uncharted journey of DPI 2.0
sectoral transformations, it is important to create the momentum in an iterative way so that we can figure
out exemplar pathways - solutions and replicable models - and build ecosystem capacity before focusing
on scaling them across states.
We recommend 2-year iterative cycles, with each cycle focusing on a specific set of sectoral
transformations. Year 1 of each cycle will focus on working with few champion States/UTs on lighthouse
pilot implementations for selected transformations to figure out exemplar pathways and demonstrate
impact. Year 2 can focus on building ecosystem capacity and scaling the adoption of exemplar pathways
figured out in year 1 across states. A curated set of DPI expert organizations will also be engaged who
can guide the states in their sector specific transformation journeys. The 2-year iterative cycles can have
some overlap.
This approach creates an expanding ecosystem network of states, civil society organisations, and market
players to collaborate enabling peer learning, shared innovation, and faster adoption.
42DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat #3 First cycle (2026-2027) focus on MSME and Agriculture
The success of the first cycle of 2-year is critical to set up the momentum. It will require extra attention and
agility to learn and evolve the execution. Following is the suggested design for 2026-2027 (first cycle) plan:
Objective & Scope
• Focus on 3 sectoral transformations in MSME and Agriculture as they have the biggest potential of
scale impact on livelihood.
• For 2026 lighthouse pilot implementations - target to work with 6 Champion States/UTs with 2 each
for 3 sectoral transformations. Each state identifies 1-2 districts for pilot.
• Try to have at least one champion state/UT from each of the 5 regions - north, south, east, west and
north-east India.
• Build institutional and implementation capacity within States/UTs and private sector ecosystem
including understanding of DPI approach, sectoral transformation solutions.
• Strengthen India’s global leadership on DPI approach by enabling global collaboration and visibility
for State-led transformations.
Indicative Milestones
• State workshops and Shortlisting of Champion States/UTs for pilots
• Pilots design and Implementation readiness by Champion States
• Pilots design and Implementation readiness by Champion States
• State Pilots rollout
• Demonstrated impact in pilot districts with at least one replicable exemplar path-
way emerging for each sector transformation
• MSME & Agriculture transformation implementation playbooks. It will include use
cases, solution architectures, operating & replicable models
• State workshops and shortlisting of states to scale transformations
• Implementation capacity building with States/UTs and private sector
• Design and Implementation readiness by shortlisted States
• State rollouts
• 5+ States/UTs rollouts for proven transformations from 2026
Institutional Setup
We recommend MeitY and NITI Aayog constitute and institutionally setup following to drive overall
program, as a catalyst and enabler, starting with 2026-2027:
a. A team to orchestrate and coordinate the overall execution in close coordination with participating
States/UTs.
b. An expert advisory group, comprising DPI, AI, and sectoral experts from government, civil society,
and the market, who will provide overall strategic guidance to the initiative.
c. A curated set of DPI expert organizations who can support and guide the states during their journey
on specific sectoral transformations.
d. Engaging global partners - a set of global development and philanthropic institutions as
collaborators and funders in State-led transformations.
e. An Impact Award program to incentivise 2026 and 2027 state outcomes.
f. Consider enabling pilot delivery capacity to states for program & solution design and technical
implementation to expedite state-led lighthouse pilots.
43DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat #4 A neutral ecosystem body for global engagement is proposed
The engagement of global partners as collaborators in State-led transformations as per 2026-27
plan will be important to figure out a structured global engagement model. India should consider
establishing a globally focused initiative in 2027 within a neutral body in collaboration with global partners
that will spearhead India’s global engagement on DPI — showcasing scalable models, supporting country
cohorts for implementation, and fostering a global community of collaboration on DPI and AI for public
good. This will reinforce India’s leadership in shaping an open, inclusive, and interoperable digital future. A
global DPI event can be planned for the launch of this initiative.
The Mission Ahead: A Future of Shared Prosperity
Achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047 is more than an aspiration; it is a strategic imperative that rests on our
ability to transform the economy into a high-productivity engine. India has already proven that the DPI
approach can deliver results at population scale, bringing hundreds of millions into the digital fold in
record time. By moving from foundational access to livelihood-led growth, we can ensure that prosperity
is not just a top-down vision, but a grassroots reality. The mission now is to act with speed and synergy—
leveraging our proven digital leadership to secure India’s place as a global benchmark for inclusive, non-
linear growth.
44DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat V. Appendices Appendix A: Case Studies of
India’s DPI Successes
India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) journey has emerged as a cornerstone for scalable, inclusive, and
efficient development. By enabling market innovation using shared digital rails across identity, payments,
data sharing, and public service delivery, India has driven deep-rooted transformation across sectors. The
appendix shares case studies of key DPI initiatives to explain the purpose, design and key success factors.
They are intended to be used as reference material to complement the strategic learnings outlined
in Chapter 1.
Case Study: Aadhaar
Context and Problem
Before Aadhaar, India’s welfare delivery systems suffered from large-scale leakages and exclusion.
Beneficiary identification relied on fragmented, paper-based records maintained by multiple
departments, often at local levels. These systems made it difficult to reliably distinguish genuine
beneficiaries from duplicate or “ghost” identities created through outdated records, migration, or weak
verification processes.
In addition, schemes, benefits were routed through intermediaries, creating leakages through diversion
during disbursement. Collecting a pension or a food subsidy often required a citizen to travel long
distances to a government office, navigate complex paperwork, and often pay a bribe to an intermediary.
For a daily wage laborer, this process frequently meant losing a full day’s wages just to collect a fraction of
their entitlement.
The Initiative and Outcomes
Aadhaar Initiative was set up to address this structural problem by providing a unique, verifiable digital
identity to every resident. By assigning a single Aadhaar number linked to biometric and demographic
attributes, the system enabled high-certainty identification at the individual level, independent of
location, paperwork, or local records.
As Aadhaar was integrated into welfare delivery, it enabled large-scale deduplication of beneficiary
databases and high-confidence verification at the point of service. This laid the foundation for Direct
Benefit Transfers (DBT), allowing benefits to be transferred directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts
without intermediaries.
DBT’s success was not driven by identity alone. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)—a
mission to drive inclusive financial inclusion—leveraged Aadhaar-based e-KYC and a zero-balance
accounts policy to rapidly expand access to banking. This enabled India to achieve within a decade a level
of financial inclusion that earlier projections had estimated would take several decades. Bank account
ownership surged from around 25% to over 80%.
In parallel, the Department of Telecommunications’ approval of Aadhaar-based e-KYC in 2016
transformed the telecom sector. This reduced customer acquisition costs by 90%, making it economically
viable for operators to scale. Consequently, mobile ownership reached 85% by 2025, turning the mobile
into a primary gateway for financial services.
Together, Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar, and mobile connectivity—the JAM Trinity—formed the backbone
of India’s digital transformation. Leveraging this trio, the DBT mission created the world’s largest
government-to-person (G2P) payment infrastructure, significantly plugging social benefit leakages
Appendices
46DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat while reducing access costs for beneficiaries. The impact has been substantial. Aadhaar-enabled DBT
has facilitated the direct transfer of subsidies and entitlements exceeding ₹35 lakh crore (over USD 450
billion) to beneficiaries. By eliminating duplicate and ineligible beneficiaries and reducing diversion during
disbursement, the system has generated savings of over ₹2.2 lakh crore (approximately USD 27 billion).
Because of its minimal design, Aadhaar enabled the “e-KYC” (Electronic Know Your Customer) revolution
beyond welfare. What used to take days of paperwork—opening a bank account or getting a SIM card—
could now be done in seconds, lowering customer acquisition costs for businesses by nearly 90%.
How the DPI Approach Enabled It
a. Programmatic Drive
Aadhaar was implemented through a sustained mission-mode program with a clear focus on universal
coverage. Rather than relying solely on a centralised government office model, the enrollment was
outsourced to a vast network of registrars, including banks and local governments. This drive was
synchronized with sectoral policies—like the DoT’s e-KYC approval and the Ministry of Finance’s PMJDY
mission—ensuring that the digital identity was immediately put to use in high-impact public and
private programs.
b. Institutional Setup and Governance
The creation of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was a critical institutional choice.
Originally an attached office, it was later given statutory backing through the Aadhaar Act. This provided
a clear legal framework for data privacy, security, consent, and accountability.
c. Shared Digital Capabilities and Infrastructure
At its core, Aadhaar created a shared digital identity and authentication infrastructure that could
be reused across programs and service providers. Standardised, machine-readable authentication
mechanisms—both biometric and demographic—enabled departments to verify beneficiaries digitally
without storing sensitive personal data themselves.
By treating identity and authentication as shared digital capabilities, the government removed the need
for every department or company to build its own verification system. This modularity made Aadhaar a
“plug-and-play” component for other DPIs including UPI and DigiLocker.
Aadhaar authentication was designed around the principle of minimal data sharing, typically responding
with a simple “Yes/No” confirmation rather than exposing underlying identity profiles. This model ensured
that Aadhaar provided core identity infrastructure while leaving service delivery to line departments and
regulated private entities.
d. Market Participation
To ensure the technology reached the last mile, Aadhaar fostered a diverse market ecosystem by
activating the demand. Private companies competed to manufacture low-cost, certified biometric
scanners (fingerprint and iris), making them affordable for small-town banks and fair-price shops.
By allowing private entities—from telecom giants to fintech startups—to become Authentication User
Agencies (AUAs), the system enabled the private sector to build new business models around instant
verification. This market participation ensured that the utility of Aadhaar grew exponentially; the more
places that accepted it, the more valuable the ID became to the citizen.
Case Study: Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
Context and Problem
For decades, India’s digital payment landscape was characterized by “walled gardens”. While IMPS and
RTGS existed, they were designed for high-value, bank-to-bank transfers. For a small merchant, accepting
a digital payment meant paying high MDR (Merchant Discount Rate) fees and managing multiple
proprietary terminals. For a consumer, sending money required knowing the recipient’s bank account
number and IFSC code, a process that lacked the immediacy and simplicity of physical cash.
47DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat The Initiative and Outcomes
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was introduced to address this gap by making digital payments
as simple and ubiquitous as cash. UPI enabled instant, bank-to-bank transfers using familiar identifiers
such as mobile numbers and QR codes, without requiring users to share sensitive bank details or navigate
complex processes.
As the system scaled to process over 20 billion transactions a month, it did more than just move money;
it normalized the concept of the “micro-payment”. UPI made paying for a single cup of tea or a handful of
vegetables as seamless as a large bank transfer. This shift brought millions of informal street vendors into
the formal fold, creating a visible shift where QR codes became commonplace alongside cash boxes.
Beyond the volume, this evolution began to turn transaction histories into “reputation data”, allowing small
businesses that previously had no financial record to finally access formal credit based on their verifiable
digital cash flow.
How the DPI Approach Enabled It
a. Programmatic Drive
The government’s mission-mode approach to financial inclusion —specifically the creation of over 500
million bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana —provided the necessary endpoints for
the UPI to function as a population-scale system.
b. Institutional Setup and Governance
UPI operates under the regulatory oversight of the Reserve Bank of India, with National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI) serving as the not-for-profit system provider and operator. While NPCI
provided the technical switch, its institutional identity as a not-for-profit, industry-led umbrella
organization was critical. Because the entity was owned by a consortium of banks, it provided
the necessary neutrality to ensure that no single private entity could gatekeep access to the
payment network.
The decision to implement a Zero MDR policy for UPI transactions removed the primary financial friction
for small-scale merchants. By eliminating the cost of acceptance at the bottom of the pyramid, the policy
shifted the merchant’s perspective of digital payments from an expense to a convenience.
c. Shared Digital Capabilities and Infrastructure
UPI was built as a shared, interoperable transaction rail rather than a standalone application. Rather
than requiring every bank to build its own proprietary payment language, UPI introduced standardized
APIs and the Virtual Payment Address (VPA). The VPA acted as a middle layer of abstraction, allowing a
user to link a simple identifier (e.g., name@bank) to their underlying bank account. This capability meant
that sensitive banking details never had to be shared during a transaction, lowering the risk of fraud and
simplifying the user experience across different applications.
d. Market Participation
The UPI was designed to be minimalist at the core, leaving the experience layer to the market. By opening
the APIs to Third-Party Application Providers (TPAPs), the initiative allowed fintech companies and global
technology platforms to compete on user interface design, customer service, and value-added features.
This separation of the utility layer (NPCI) from the application layer (private apps) ensured that while the
back-end remained a stable public utility, the front-end remained a highly competitive and innovative
marketplace. This competition ensured that digital payments became accessible even to users with low
digital literacy or entry-level smartphones.
48DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Case Study: GSTN
Context and Problem
Before 2017, India’s indirect tax landscape was a complex maze of overlapping central and state levies. A
single product moving across state lines could be subject to Excise Duty, VAT, Entry Tax, and Octroi, each
managed by different departments with separate paper-based filing systems.
For businesses, this meant maintaining multiple registrations and dealing with “tax cascading” (tax on
tax), as credits from one levy often couldn’t be set off against another. For the state, the lack of a unified
view of a taxpayer’s journey across the supply chain led to massive tax evasion through “missing trader”
fraud and manual invoice manipulation. The economy was functionally divided by physical and digital
borders that made national-scale commerce inefficient.
The Initiative and Outcomes
The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) was established to provide the digital backbone for
implementing a unified national GST regime. Rather than merely digitising existing tax processes, GSTN
was designed as a digital infrastructure through which all GST registrations, returns, payments, and
reconciliations would flow—across both central and state tax administrations.
By 2025, the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) stands as one of the world’s largest digital tax
infrastructures, reflecting India’s success in building a unified, technology-driven fiscal ecosystem. With
over 1.56 crore registered taxpayers, more than 170 crore returns filed, and around 42 crore payment
transactions amounting to nearly `97 lakh crore in tax payments
45
, GSTN demonstrates the scale,
reliability, and inclusivity of India’s digital governance model.
How the DPI Approach Enabled It
a. Programmatic Drive
GST was implemented as a national mission involving simultaneous policy reform and digital rollout across
the Union and states. GSTN was integral to this effort, providing a single interface for taxpayers regardless
of jurisdiction. Extensive outreach, phased onboarding, and iterative refinement of filing processes
enabled businesses—especially small firms—to transition gradually into the new system rather than face a
one-time compliance shock.
b. Institutional Setup and Governance: The Trusted Utility
GSTN was structured as a Section 8 (not-for-profit) company with joint ownership by the Government of
India and state governments, alongside regulated institutional shareholders. This hybrid ownership model
ensured public oversight while allowing GSTN to function with operational autonomy and technology-
sector agility.
The governance is anchored in the GST Council, a federal body where the Center and States make
collective policy decisions. This ensures that it evolves not by executive decree, but through a consensus-
based framework that respects India’s federal structure.
c. Shared Digital Capabilities
Rather than building a “closed” government portal, GSTN was designed as a set of open, secure APIs.
It provides three core shared capabilities that include standardized registration, invoice matching and
automated ledger.
By treating these as shared services, the government removed the burden from individual states to
build their own back-ends. This common infrastructure enabled interoperability across jurisdictions
and reduced duplication of effort, while providing the foundation for analytics-driven compliance and
enforcement.
d. Market Participation
GSTN’s architecture deliberately enabled participation by a broad ecosystem of private players.
Taxpayer-facing services—such as return preparation, accounting, invoicing, and compliance support—
49DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat were opened to licensed private software providers through standardised APIs. This allowed businesses
to interact with GST through tools that suited their size and sophistication, rather than through a single
government interface.
This market participation was particularly important for small and medium enterprises, which relied on
accountants, tax practitioners, and software providers to navigate the transition. Competition among
solution providers improved usability, reduced compliance friction, and accelerated adoption, while GSTN
remained the stable, neutral backbone for data exchange and validation.
Case Study: FASTag
Context and Problem
For decades, India’s national highways were plagued by chronic congestion at toll plazas. Despite the
expansion of road infrastructure, the toll booths remained a manual, cash-based bottleneck. Vehicles
often waited for 20–30 minutes in long queues, leading to massive fuel wastage, air pollution, and
increased logistics costs.
The manual tolling was also vulnerable to revenue leakages, under-reporting, and reconciliation delays.
Cash handling increased the risk of diversion, while fragmented toll systems made it difficult to obtain
real-time visibility into collections across plazas and corridors. For a long-haul truck driver crossing state
lines, there was no single way to pay for a journey, and the lack of a digital footprint made it difficult
for transport companies to track expenses or prevent cash pilferage by drivers. For freight operators,
unpredictable delays at toll booths translated into higher logistics costs, lower vehicle utilisation, and
unreliable delivery timelines.
Earlier attempts at electronic tolling saw limited adoption due to lack of interoperability, inconsistent
standards across plazas, and the absence of a unified national framework. As a result, tolling remained a
major friction point in India’s transport and logistics ecosystem.
The Initiative and Outcomes
FASTag was introduced to address these challenges by enabling cashless, contactless toll payments
using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. It enabled a “drive-through” experience where
toll payments are automatically deducted from a linked prepaid or savings account while the vehicle
is in motion.
As the initiative moved from a voluntary pilot to a mandatory national standard, it reshaped the logistics
landscape. Wait times at toll plazas dropped from an average of 12 minutes to less than 30 seconds.
The impact has been substantial. Digital tolling through FASTag has led to a reduction of over 90% in
average wait times at toll plazas
46
, fuel savings of up to 15%, and an estimated 20% reduction in CO₂
emissions from idling vehicles. Today, over 90% of toll transactions on national highways are conducted
digitally
47
, making FASTag the default mode of toll collection nationwide.
The integration of E-Way Bills with FASTag-enabled enforcement has eliminated physical checkpoints at
state borders. This has reduced truck travel time by nearly 30%, effectively turning the entire country into
a seamless logistics corridor.
What started as a tolling solution has evolved into a “Vehicle ID”. By 2025, FASTag is being used
for contactless parking payments at airports and malls, and even for automated fuel payments at
petrol pumps.
How the DPI Approach Enabled It
a. Programmatic Drive
FASTag was rolled out through a strong mission-mode program led by the National Highways Authority
of India (NHAI). Rather than a single-step rollout, adoption was achieved through phased sequencing.
Initial pilots were launched on select highway corridors, followed by expansion across national highways.
50DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat The transition was supported by a massive nationwide distribution network, ensuring tags could be
purchased at fuel stations, banks, and even via e-commerce platforms.
This was reinforced through clear policy mandates—first requiring FASTag for all new vehicles, and
subsequently making it mandatory for all vehicles at national highway toll plazas.
This staged approach—pilot, scale, and mandate—helped overcome coordination challenges between
users and operators, ensuring that FASTag transitioned from an optional facility to a national default.
b. Institutional Setup and Governance
FASTag operates under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) framework, with the National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) acting as the neutral operator of the toll payment network. NPCI
manages the central clearing and settlement infrastructure, ensuring interoperability across issuing
banks, toll operators, and plazas.
Policy oversight and highway operations are led by NHAI, while Indian Highway Management Company
Limited (IHMCL)—a company promoted by NHAI—handles operational implementation, plaza integration,
and monitoring. This clear separation of roles ensured that toll policy and enforcement remained with
transport authorities, while the digital transaction infrastructure was managed as a shared public utility.
c. Shared Digital Capabilities and Infrastructure
FASTag is built on a set of shared digital capabilities that enable nationwide interoperability. These include
standardised RFID-based vehicle identification, a centralised transaction switching and settlement
system, and machine-readable data flows between toll plazas, issuing banks, and highway authorities.
By treating toll collection as a shared transaction infrastructure, FASTag eliminated the need for each toll
operator to deploy proprietary systems. A single FASTag works seamlessly across states and highways,
enabling frictionless mobility while providing authorities with real-time visibility into toll operations
and revenues.
d. Market Participation
Market participation played a critical role in FASTag’s nationwide adoption. Multiple public and private
banks were authorised to issue FASTags, compete on distribution channels, and integrate FASTag
issuance with existing customer relationships. Technology vendors supplied RFID tags, lane automation
equipment, and backend integration services under common technical standards.
To reduce onboarding friction further, vehicle manufacturers began offering factory-fitted FASTags in
new vehicles. This competitive, multi-actor ecosystem ensured wide availability, lowered issuance costs,
and accelerated last-mile adoption—while the core infrastructure remained a neutral public utility.
Allowing private parking operators and fuel stations to join the NETC network created a new market for
contactless mobility where private firms build user-friendly apps to manage vehicle-related expenses on
top of the shared FASTag infrastructure.
Case Study: Account Aggregator (AA) Framework
Context and Problem
For decades, access to formal credit and financial services in India was constrained not by the absence
of data, but by the absence of trusted data mobility. Individuals and small businesses generated financial
data across banks, NBFCs, insurers, mutual funds, and pension systems, yet this data remained locked
within institutional silos. Consumers had no practical means to access, control, or share their own financial
information.
As a result, lenders relied on collateral, paper statements, and historical relationships to assess
creditworthiness. Small enterprises, gig workers, and informal earners—despite having regular cash
flows—were frequently excluded because they could not present verified, machine-readable financial
records. Where data sharing did occur, it relied on insecure mechanisms such as physical documents,
PDFs, or screen-scraping, increasing fraud risk and undermining privacy.
51DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat The Initiative and Outcomes
The Account Aggregator (AA) Framework was introduced to address this structural problem by enabling
secure, consent-driven sharing of financial data. Under the framework, individuals and businesses can
digitally authorise the transfer of their financial information—from data-holding institutions to regulated
data users. The financial data flows through clearly defined roles. Financial Information Providers (FIPs)—
such as banks, NBFCs, insurers, mutual funds, and pension institutions—hold users’ financial data.
Financial Information Users (FIUs)—such as lenders, wealth managers, or personal finance platforms—
consume this data to deliver services like credit, investment advice, or financial planning. Account
Aggregators (AAs) act as neutral consent managers, enabling users to securely authorise the transfer of
specific data from FIPs to FIUs. Importantly, Account Aggregators do not store, process, or monetise the
data themselves; they only facilitate consented, encrypted data flows between regulated entities.
The framework shifted control of financial data from institutions to the data principal. Data sharing
became purpose-specific, time-bound, and revocable, replacing blanket consent and opaque data use
with explicit, auditable permissions.
By late 2025, the AA framework has achieved significant scale: 126 financial institutions operate as both
FIPs and FIUs. Over 2 billion financial accounts are enabled for data sharing, with over 223 million users
linking their accounts to the AA ecosystem
48
.
As adoption scaled, the AA framework began to transform credit underwriting and financial service
delivery. Loan approvals that previously took weeks could be processed in minutes using verified,
machine-readable data. Small businesses and individuals without collateral gained access to formal
credit based on cash flows rather than assets, while fraud risks reduced through the elimination of
document tampering.
How the DPI Approach Enabled It
a. Programmatic Drive
The AA framework was rolled out through a coordinated, regulator-led program rather than a single-
mandate push. Standards for consent, data formats, and security were established first, followed by
phased onboarding of financial institutions and use cases.
Ecosystem coordination and readiness were supported by the Sahamati Alliance, which worked with
banks, NBFCs, fintech firms, and regulators to operationalise common standards and accelerate adoption
across the financial sector.
b. Institutional Setup and Governance
A defining feature of the AA framework is its regulatory and institutional design. Account Aggregators
are licensed and regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with other financial regulators governing
participation within their respective sectors.
Inter-regulatory coordination across the Securities and Exchange Board of India, Insurance Regulatory
and Development Authority of India, and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority ensured
consistent fiduciary, security, and compliance standards across banking, insurance, investments,
and pensions.
The AA framework is aligned with India’s Digital Empowerment of Personal Accounts (DEPA) model,
embedding consent, purpose limitation, and revocability as foundational principles for data sharing.
c. Shared Digital Capabilities and Infrastructure
At its core, the AA framework provides a shared consent and data-exchange infrastructure. It is built on
a shared, interoperable protocol rather than a centralized database. It introduced the Electronic Consent
Artefact, a standardized digital “contract” that specifies exactly - what data is being shared, for what
purpose and for how long. By treating “consent” as a shared digital capability, the framework ensured that
the user is the primary “controller” of their data.
52DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Standardised, machine-readable data formats and APIs allow financial data to move securely and
interoperably across institutions. This eliminated the need for bilateral integrations between every bank
and fintech. Once integrated, participants could connect to the entire ecosystem, dramatically reducing
onboarding costs while ensuring that sensitive financial data flowed directly between regulated entities.
d. Market Participation
The AA framework deliberately enabled market participation at multiple layers. Licensed Account
Aggregators competed on user experience, reliability, and consent dashboards. Banks, NBFCs, fintech
lenders, personal finance platforms, and MSME applications integrated as data users, building products
on top of consented data flows.
This open yet regulated participation fostered competition in credit delivery, personal finance
management, and risk assessment—while the underlying data-sharing rails remained interoperable and
neutral. As participation increased, network effects strengthened without creating centralised data
accumulation.
53DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Appendix B: DPI Approach Enables Total
Factor Productivity (TFP) Growth
What is Total Factor Productivity (TFP)
Total Factor Productivity (TFP) stands as a cornerstone concept in macroeconomics, representing the
enigmatic yet powerful force that drives long-term economic prosperity. TFP focuses on the productivity
of the whole economy of a country. TFP is a measure of an economy’s ability to generate income from
inputs (labour and capital)—to do more with less.
If an economy increases its total income without using more inputs, or if the economy maintains its
income level while using fewer inputs, it is said to enjoy higher TFP. When TFP improves, it allows
countries to maintain or increase living standards while conserving resources, including natural resources
such as the climate and our biosphere.
TFP Growth - a measure towards developed nation
Countries with the world’s highest TFP, such as The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the US,
are also among its richest. There is a close association between productive efficiency and economic
prosperity
49
.
This relationship is reinforced by the Asian Development Bank
50
, which provides strong empirical
evidence that sustained TFP growth is the central mechanism through which countries transition
to high-income, developed status and avoid the middle-income trap - a situation where nations
experience growth stagnation as input-led strategies like adding more capital and labour yield diminishing
returns. The report shows that growth slowdowns in middle-income economies are driven predominantly
by sharp declines in productivity growth rather than by reductions in labour or capital accumulation, with
studies finding that up to 85% of observed slowdowns can be attributed to falling TFP growth.
Conversely, countries that successfully graduate to high-income status consistently exhibit faster and
more sustained TFP growth, reflecting a shift from input-led to productivity-led growth. The evidence
thus establishes that TFP growth is the defining pathway through which nations escape middle-income
stagnation and achieve sustained growth towards becoming a developed, high-income nation.
Sustained TFP growth is primarily driven by five interrelated factors:
51
1. Innovation, defined as the generation and adoption of new technologies; leading to the
development of higher value-added activities, products, and processes and improving the
performance of existing ones. It involves investing in frontier R&D, enabling experimentation,
learning, and structural upgrading.
2. Market Efficiency, defined as enabling efficient allocation and use of resources (e.g., labor, capital,
and materials) across firms and sectors in a competitive environment. It enhances TFP by inducing
unproductive firms to exit the market, facilitating productive firms to grow, and allowing new firms
to emerge. Market frictions, misallocation and monopolies suppress aggregate TFP even in the
presence of investment and skills.
3. Public infrastructure - physical and digital - that can provide timely and cost-effective access to
input and output markets, workplaces, and knowledge and information sources, thus supporting all
possible economic activities. An appropriate infrastructure network –in terms of quantity, quality,
and diversity – can complement private capital and labor, increasing their returns and impact on
economic growth. In this way, expanding public infrastructure becomes a source of TFP growth.
4. Workforce productivity, as the knowledge and skills of the population not only to produce more
and better, but also to generate, disseminate, adapt, and implement technology throughout the
economy. Higher levels of education, skills, and health improve labour quality and raise output per
54DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat worker. Differences in human capital explain a significant share of cross-country variation in TFP,
particularly as production becomes more complex and knowledge-intensive.
5. Public Institutions – in the regulatory, justice, policy, and political systems – that promote social and
economic stability; tap into the possible productivity benefits of innovations and tackle barriers to
the opportunities for all across the economy.
DPI Approach - a design approach to enable TFP growth
While primary growth factors of TFP are fairly clear - the biggest question for policymakers is how to
enable them effectively in a systematic way across the sectors and economy. Digital Public Infrastructure
(DPI) as a design approach offers that mechanism to activate TFP growth factors and enable
productivity-led growth across the economy. DPI as design approach is foundationally rooted in the TFP
growth factors:
• Technology and innovation are the fundamental pillars of DPI approach with the focus on
addressing structural challenges including transaction cost, productivity and market expansion.
• Creating a level playing field and competitive environment for innovators of all sizes and types -
private sector, government, non-profits.
• Driving adoption through focused programs to ensure change on the ground.
• Enabling institutional setup including policy and regulation.
55DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Appendix C: Abbreviations
Abbreviation Expansion
AAAccount Aggregator
ASERAnnual Status of Education Report
BISBank for International Settlements
DBTDirect Benefit Transfer
DPIDigital Public Infrastructure
e-KYCElectronic Know Your Customer
FIUFinancial Information User
FIPFinancial Information Provider
GDPGross Domestic Product
G2PGovernment-to-Person
GSTGoods and Services Tax
GSTNGoods and Services Tax Network
IHMCLIndian Highway Management Company Limited
IMPSImmediate Payment Service
JAMJan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile
MeitYMinistry of Electronics and Information Technology
MSMEMicro, Small and Medium Enterprise
NBFCNon-Banking Financial Company
NETCNational Electronic Toll Collection
NHAINational Highways Authority of India
NPCINational Payments Corporation of India
PMJDYPradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
RFIDRadio Frequency Identification
RTGSReal Time Gross Settlement
SEBISecurities and Exchange Board of India
TFPTotal Factor Productivity
TPAPThird-Party Application Provider
UCL University College London
UIDAIUnique Identification Authority of India
UPIUnified Payments Interface
56DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat Appendix D: Glossary
TermDefinition
Account Aggregator
(AA)
A consent-based system that allows people and businesses to securely
share their financial data with service providers, enabling faster and simpler
access to credit and financial services.
Aggregated Demand
The pooling of demand—often at district or state level—to create a clear and
reliable market for digital solutions and service providers.
Blue Dot
Digital enablement of a physical entity such as an individual or organisation
to broadcast who they are, what they have and what they are seeking in a
credible way.
Building Blocks
Minimalist, reusable digital components enabling interoperability and inno-
vation.
Citizen-Centric Design
Designing digital systems around real user needs and behaviours to ensure
ease of use, trust, and inclusion.
Combinatorial Impact
The non-linear benefits created when multiple digital systems—such as
identity, payments, and data—work together, producing outcomes far great-
er than any single system alone.
Direct Benefit Transfer
(DBT)
A mission-mode program that uses digital infrastructure to transfer social
benefits directly to bank accounts, reducing leakages.
Digital Public Infra-
structure (DPI)
A design approach leveraging technology and market innovation across
sectors to enable non-linear socio-economic development at scale.
Digital Registries
Authoritative digital records of entities—such as individuals, businesses,
assets, or institutions—that provide a trusted source of verified information
and enable identification, authentication, and interoperability across digital
systems.
Digital Transactions
Trusted, low-cost digital exchanges that enable individuals and enterprises
to participate easily in the formal economy.
Electronic Know Your
Customer (e-KYC)
Paperless “Electronic Know Your Customer” identity verification enabled by
the Aadhaar digital identity infrastructure.
FASTag
RFID-based digital toll collection system enabling seamless vehicular move-
ment developed using DPI approach.
Goods and Services
Tax Network (GSTN)
Goods and Services Tax Network; a digital system for tax filings whose data is
often used for credit risk assessment.
Hidden Economy
Economic activities that operate outside formal systems of registration,
taxation, regulation, and social protection, limiting access to formal credit,
markets, and public services and reducing overall productivity and growth.
57DPI@2047 for Viksit Bharat TermDefinition
Hockey-Stick Growth
A non-linear growth trajectory that rapidly accelerates as more people and
businesses are onboarded onto shared digital infrastructure.
Interoperability
The ability of different digital systems, platforms, or applications to work
together seamlessly using common standards or protocols, enabling data ex-
change and transactions without creating silos or lock-in.
Inclusive Prosperity
Economic growth that expands opportunities, incomes, and capabilities
broadly across society, not just for a few.
Language AI
Artificial intelligence systems that understand, generate, and interact using
human languages—especially local and vernacular languages—enabling
voice- and text-based access to digital services for all citizens, regardless of
literacy or technical skills.
Machine-Readable
Data
Data that is structured and formatted so that digital systems can automat-
ically read, process, and analyse it, enabling interoperability, automation,
and effective use by analytics and AI systems.
Market Participation
The involvement of diverse public, private, and non-profit actors in building
solutions on shared digital foundations, fostering competition and innova-
tion.
Mission-Mode Pro-
grams
Outcome-driven initiatives designed to rapidly scale adoption and usage of
digital systems to achieve specific national or sectoral goals.
Participatory Gover-
nance
A governance approach in which government, private sector, civil society,
and other stakeholders jointly shape the design, operation, and evolution of
digital systems through transparent, consultative, and inclusive processes.
Open Networks
Interoperable digital networks that unbundle demand and supply, allowing
multiple providers to participate without a single controlling platform.
Preventive Care
Health services and interventions focused on preventing illness, detecting
health risks early, and promoting well-being, reducing the need for costly
and complex treatments later.
Regulatory Sandbox
A controlled environment where new digital solutions can be tested safely
under regulatory oversight before wide-scale deployment.
Sustainable Data
Economy
An economic system in which data is generated, shared, and used responsi-
bly to create long-term value for individuals, businesses, and society, sup-
ported by trust, incentives, governance, and fair value exchange.
Total Factor Productiv-
ity (TFP)
A measure of economic efficiency reflecting growth achieved through better
use of technology, skills, and systems—not just more labour or capital.
Tokenization
Converting physical assets like land property or carbon credits into digital
tokens that can be traded or exchanged
Verifiable Credentials
Digitally issued and cryptographically secure credentials that allow individ-
uals or entities to prove specific attributes or qualifications—such as identity,
skills, eligibility, or compliance—in a trusted and privacy-preserving manner.
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