India’s advanced digital public infrastructure in focus at Panjab University lecture

Management consultant and chairperson of the central capacity building commission, Adil Zainulbhai, said India has the best digital infrastructure in the world in many areas, designed by young Indians, many of whom were students. He was delivering a colloquium lecture in Panjab University (PU) on Thursday on n the topic “Digital Public Infrastructure and How It Changes India.”

Zainulbhai spoke about how the implementation of Aadhaar gave confidence that India can start building digital public infrastructure (DPI) that is not only as good as anywhere in the world, but Indians should be ahead of the world and in a position to give it to the rest of the world. PU vice-chancellor (V-C) Renu Vig presided over the event.

He explained how India’s DPI, built on Aadhaar, has laid the foundation for innovative applications.

He cited the example of UPI-based transactions, which are the cheapest in India due to low data costs and minimal transaction charges. He also highlighted applications such as patient health data management, the CoWIN app, the development of an online common job application platform, commercial portals like GeM, and direct-to-beneficiary transfers, all of which have made public services more accessible, cost-effective, and efficient.

Zainulbhai further informed the audience that about thirty countries from the global south are leveraging these applications to develop their own digital infrastructure. Additionally, the Indian private sector is building successful businesses using this robust digital foundation, he added. DPIs will lay the future for India to become $8 trillion economy by 2030 and help India achieve the target of $1 trillion digital economy, he said.