India Stack goes global; close to a dozen countries set to implement India’s digital infrastructure

Four Caribbean countries—Antigua, Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago—Sierra Leone in Africa, Suriname in South America, Armenia in East Europe, and Papua New Guinea in Southeast Asia are among the eight countries that will soon adopt India Stack in their countries, according to available information. 

There are over half-a-dozen more countries, including Mauritius and Saudi Arabia, that are in talks with the government.

In an exclusive interview with Business Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about the utility of India’s digital public infrastructure in both the Global South and the developed world. “Many countries are interested in learning from our experience, and we have successfully initiated cooperation with at least a dozen countries,” he said.

In a B20 conference this week, Nandan Nilekani, Infosys co-founder and the first chairman of UIDAI (Aadhaar), said that India’s digital public infrastructure will extend to 50 countries within the next five years. 

The Global South presents an ideal market for India’s digital stack.

India Stack originated with the introduction of Aadhaar, followed by e-Know Your Customer (eKYC) for quick paperless identity validation. The e-Sign functionality enables users to attach legally valid electronic signatures to documents. The UPI framework simplifies cashless payments via QR codes, while DigiLocker acts as a hub for the verification of documents and certificates. In addition, the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is the newest addition to democratising the e-commerce model. There is also an account aggregator, which supports the open banking concept.

India is keen to extend the capabilities of the India Stack to global enterprises and countries that are keen on driving digital transformation. According to the government, the ideas, tech tools, and features of India Stack can be used in any country. “None of the parts that make up the India Stack need special technology or exclusive rights, “says the government. 

India Stack is also part of the G20 agenda. In a recent interview with Business Today, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the Chief Coordinator for the G20, said, “The G20 serves as a key entity in recommending policies, frameworks, and guiding principles. Our primary concern is to identify the principles that should regulate the use of digital public infrastructure (DPI) and to develop a framework that encourages collaboration between countries.”

Shringla further elaborated, “The G20 also takes on the responsibility of aiding countries in this endeavour, providing a blueprint for increased cooperation and support to developing nations in the establishment of DPIs.”