The project is aimed towards advancing cooperation in cyber and critical technology issues between India and Australia by assessing the role of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), a new approach to digitalization tested through the lens of accessibility, inclusivity, and security. DPI’s distinguishing characteristics of openness, interoperability and scalability, underscore its criticality beyond technology advancements; its application to critical governance. programs promises broader socio-economic progress and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
By examining two distinct use cases, i.e., distribution of welfare benefits (Direct Benefit Transfer) and provisioning of health care, we undertake an assessment of the DPI approach as a critical technology pathway that can be translated into design principles and practical actions. Through our stakeholder interactions involving policymakers, technologists, private sector, civil society, particularly gender specialists, we hope to not only strengthen the DPI framework and its application to select use cases, but also facilitate its adoption more widely, both in India and other countries. The research will also create knowledge spillovers and significantly contribute to enhancing the understanding of the ‘public’ character of this critical technology ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific region.
