India plans to seek its own rating, testing mechanism for DPIs, DPGs

India is working to create collaborations in order to certify, register, test, and benchmark Indian digital public infrastructure (DPIs) and digital public goods (DPGs)

India is working with forums such as the United Nations and the G20 to create collaborations to certify, register, test, and benchmark Indian digital public infrastructure (DPIs) and digital public goods (DPGs).

After the success of DPI programmes such as CoWin, UPI, DigiLocker, and Diksha (national digital infrastructure for teachers), the Centre is keen to seek its own rating and testing mechanism for DPIs and DPGs, according to a report in the Mint.

Currently, the multilateral organisation Digital Public Goods Alliance provides guidance, benchmarks, rates, and judges DPIs.

The government's plan to form a certification, testing and registration process for DPIs and DPGs will let India cater to local DPIs and DPGs and for such platforms developed elsewhere.

The DPIs and DPGs developed by India have been deployed in other countries too. CoWin has been deployed in Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Jamaica.

The export of payment platform UPI has also grown significantly, with the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) partnering with countries such as the UK, the UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Bhutan, and Nepal.

According to the Mint report, UPI has over 260 million unique users, while CoWin has over 1.1 billion users. More than 500 million learning sessions have been conducted using the Diksha app.

The Indian government's digital infrastructure comprises digital platforms such as Aadhaar, DigiLocker, DigiYatra, UPI, and many others.

The DPI is aimed at providing an efficient way to access government services and promote inclusive development.

An official said, "Indian DPIs and DPGs have a cost advantage over similar products from the developed world. These can, thus, be cost-effectively integrated into the systems of emerging and developed economies alike."