India's next leap: Data-led systems for a connected nation

India's digital backbone is shifting from scale to intelligence as Al, IoT and secure connectivity turn static public systems into responsive, real-time networks.

- BY SUJIT PATEL

India's digital public infrastructure is no longer a concept under construction. It is used every day, everywhere. Aadhaar has become the backbone of identity across banking, welfare, and travel. UPI processes billions of transactions a month, placing the power of digital finance in the hands of both a roadside vendor and a national retailer. DigiLocker has eased reliance on paper records. ONDC is giving micro and small enterprises a path into digital commerce. Public WiFi is steadily expanding, with an increasing number of access points being added across the country.

This foundation has transformed lives, but the difficult question is what comes next. A nation of 1.4 billion cannot rely solely on scale. It requires infrastructure that adapts in real-time, protects itself against emerging risks, and responds to citizens in ways that feel personal. That shift is already underway. Across energy, cities, identity systems, agriculture, and healthcare, technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are beginning to transform static services into responsive, intelligent networks.

#1 ENERGY SYSTEMS

Energy offers one of the clearest illustrations of this shift.

As of March 2025, more than 22.9 million smart meters had been installed nationwide. For households, this meant bills they could finally trust. For utilities, it meant something they had never possessed before—a live view of demand across the grid.

Once this data was fed into predictive models, operations began to change. Blackouts were no longer repaired only after the fact; they were prevented before they occurred. This transition from reaction to anticipation marks a decisive turning point in how India manages its power networks.

#2 URBAN CIVIC MANAGEMENT