Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is increasingly shaping the architecture through which governments deliver public services, with digital identity, interoperable payments, data-sharing frameworks and other common digital rails enabling services to operate at greater scale. This report examines whether and how DPI can represent a paradigmatic shift in public service delivery, moving beyond the digitisation of existing processes towards systems that are more accessible, inclusive, efficient and secure.
The report uses a novel framework to analyse two quite different cases: Direct Benefit Transfer, a welfare programme that runs on top of India’s foundational DPI, and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, a sectoral DPI built specifically for health. Each has been analysed alongside Australia’s experience. It considers the evolution of these systems, their institutional and technological architecture, and the opportunities and challenges that emerge as they operate at scale, with particular attentio to inclusion and last-mile access, efficiency and outcomes, security and resilience, and the role of public and private actors.
Drawing on stakeholder consultations and India-Australia engagement, the report identifies key areas of friction and opportunities for strengthening DPI architectures. It contributes to the broader discussion on how DPI can be designed and strengthened to address critical public service delivery challenges, with lessons relevant to India and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region exploring this paradigm in their own unique contexts.
