G20 ministers reach consensus on definition of digital public infra: MoS IT

G20 Digital Economy Ministers have reached a consensus on the definition of digital public infrastructure, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Tuesday.

The minister said that under India's Presidency, G20 Digital Economy Ministers reached a groundbreaking consensus on the manner in which digital public infrastructure (DPI) will shape the future.

"This has been for the first time ever a global consensus and what ought to be the definition, the framework and the principles of Digital Public Infrastructure," Chandrasekhar said.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an intense digitalisation process in 2015 with the Digital India programme.

"India has seen several DPIs that have been created. I can safely say that DPI conversations that are being held across the world and have been amplified in a sense by G20 conversations have gained momentum in the context of this Indian Presidency in the G20.

"India is now a case study- a nation that has employed and deployed technology for progress and growth," Chandrasekhar said.

The government's DPI includes platforms like Aadhaar, UPI, Digilocker, Cowin and other platforms that are meant to provide services to citizens in electronic mode.

India has entered into eight memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Antigua, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Papua New Guinea, and Mauritius, offering them the India stack and DPI at no cost and with open-source access.

The minister said the digital economy in India is expected to touch 20 per cent by 2025-26.

He said that the digital economy in the country has grown to 11 per cent from 4.5 per cent in 2014.

Chandrasekhar said there was consensus on cybersecurity and digital skills as well.

"Countries that are engaged during the G20, and I suspect even beyond that, are engaged in the entire concept of DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure). While UPI is certainly a powerful part of the India stack there are many other applications on the India stack that are equally exciting and interesting, especially in health, storage like digilocker etc.," he said.

India's focus on creating digital talent has resonated well across the board, and G20 countries and many other nations have shown interest in partnering for the same, he noted.

Chandrasekhar said there has been consensus on financing digital infrastructure, but details of financing will evolve gradually.

"While this is the Indian Presidency, and we have certainly initiated these conversations, and there is widespread excitement, interest and consensus, this will continue beyond this Presidency. These things will evolve," he said.