A U.S.-like DOGE for India is not far-fetched

The United States President, Donald Trump, made headlines when he announced a U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with its focus primarily on cost reduction. Yet it is a move that opens a broader discussion on streamlining government operations in developing economies through dedicated efforts to drive efficiency in governance.

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Going beyond the narrow, cost-focused American proposal, India could reimagine government efficiency through the lens of enhanced service delivery and governance. While India has made significant strides in advancing its economic and social agendas, the country still faces persistent challenges in addressing bureaucratic inefficiencies, excessive regulatory red tape, and misallocation of resources in public spending. 'Minimum government and maximum governance' are still a far cry from reality. There are often outdated practices embedded in standard operating procedures (SOPs) across government departments. Many of these non-value-adding activities, originally designed for valid operational contexts, have lost relevance in the wake of digitisation or changes in upstream and downstream processes. Despite no longer serving their intended purpose, they continue to be performed, leading to unnecessary delays and inflated costs. Such inefficiencies not only slow down the execution of critical government programmes but also undermine their overall impact and cost-effectiveness. To tackle these issues, India could benefit from establishing a dedicated government efficiency departmenta body that would focus on identifying inefficiencies, cutting waste, eliminating rework, and enhancing accountability across all levels of governance. This broader mandate could transform how citizens interact with government services while modernising administrative processes.Lessons from within India