India-made MOSIP: An identity tool for the world's development needs

MOSIP is helping developing nations to build inclusive and targeted programmes for their citizens

The G20 summit in New Delhi recognised the importance of digital public infrastructure (DPI) for accelerating sustainable development goals. Importantly, the summit declaration highlighted the use of open source software to deliver services for the society and standards for such work.

The declaration would have cheered a group of people working at the International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIIT-B) who have developed, using open source software, the world's first foundational digital identity system called Modular Open Source Identity Platform (MOSIP).

Around 11 countries, including Philippines, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Ethiopia, are at various stages of adopting MOSIP to build