Protean, Google Cloud collaborate to drive digital public infrastructure

The partnership aims to accelerate ONDC and identity & data services through a centre of excellence

Protean eGov Technologies (Protean), an expert in large-scale e-governance solutions, has joined hands with Google Cloud to propel the deployment of digital public infrastructure (DPI) and the adoption of generative AI (genAI) and cloud technology.

In this partnership, Protean and Google Cloud are establishing a centre of excellence to tap into the potential of Google's newly launched open commerce solution for Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). By combining this with Protean's ONDC Buyer and Seller platforms, the partnership aims to supercharge the uptake of ONDC among participants.

Additionally, the collaboration seeks to enhance Protean's identity authentication solutions and Data Services, utilising Google's cloud computing and AI capabilities to drive their adoption. The goal is to streamline comprehensive digital onboarding processes across different industries.

The Centre of Excellence's primary focus is to spark innovation in delivering digital public services across various sectors, including ecommerce, healthcare, agriculture, mobility, education, and financial services. Protean aims to leverage Google Cloud's advanced GenAI and VertexAI technologies to address various use cases and deliver impactful eGovernance solutions across these sectors.

Suresh Sethi, MD & CEO, Protean said, "We believe it (the partnership) holds potential to accelerate India's digital transformation agenda on the back of delivering digital public infrastructure and open digital eco-systems."

Sethi added, "This partnership will influence ONDC network adoption, and the centre of excellence will power multi-sectoral innovations at population-scale. We eagerly look forward to unlocking the potential of this collaboration with Google's products and people and staying committed to our mission of Building for Billions."

Bikram Bedi, the MD of Google Cloud India, said, "This is a unique opportunity to unlock innovation at scale and create significant social and economic impact."

This collaboration comes at a time when India is rapidly embracing digitisation across both public and private realms.