INDIA'S DPI POTENTIAL

INCLUSIVITY, INTERCONNECTEDNESS AND INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

- Vaishali Basu Sharma

Lately, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates have had several meetings and in all the focus has been on leveraging technology in areas of healthcare, education and agriculture. Gates has often praised India for its technological achievements including advancements in Digital public infrastructure (DPI) in a post on X Gates said, "During my visit to India, I saw how AI and DPI are improving access to education, healthcare, and lives of small farmers, and how these technologies can be transformative for the world." PM Modi emphasised the importance of digital platforms in democratising access to quality healthcare, ensuring that even remote areas receive the same level of medical services as urban centres, tweeting, "From diplomacy to linguistic diversity, AI is shaping India's global engagement."

Both Modi and Gates in their interactions have emphasised that one of the key themes that India brings to technology is its commitment to making it accessible to everyone, particularly focusing on uplifting those who need it the most.

In a previous post, Gates had said that it was "always inspiring to meet with @narendramodi and there was a lot to discuss. We talked about AI for public good; DPI; women-led development; innovation in agriculture, health, and climate adaptation; and how we can take lessons from India to the world."

Indeed DPI is not just about technology, it's about transforming lives, empowering individuals, and building a resilient digital ecosystem. Countries like India are leveraging existing DPIs, building and innovating on top of those & creating a vibrant ecosystem in their country to achieve prosperity on a large scale. In India's case, a profound economic transformation has been powered by DPIs that have facilitated the development of necessary government services and platforms.