digital public infrastructure

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) refers to digital systems and platforms that enable the delivery of services, facilitate data exchange, and support digital governance across various sectors.{{Cite web |title=What is DPI? {{!}} Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure |url=https://docs.cdpi.dev/the-dpi-wiki/what-is-dpi |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241213122153/https://docs.cdpi.dev/the-dpi-wiki/what-is-dpi |archive-date=2024-12-13 |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=docs.cdpi.dev |language=en}} DPI includes elements such as digital identity systems,{{Cite web |last=White |first=Olivia |last2=Madgavkar |first2=Anu |last3=Manyika Mumbai |first3=James |last4=Mahajan |first4=Deepa |title=Digital ID: A key to inclusive growth {{!}} McKinsey |url=https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/digital-identification-a-key-to-inclusive-growth |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=www.mckinsey.com}} payment platforms,Clark, Julia Michal; Metz, Anna Zita; Casher, Claire Susan.[http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099705012232226786 ID4D Global Dataset 2021 : Volume 1 - Global ID Coverage Estimates] (English). Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group. and data exchange protocols, designed to be scalable, interoperable, and accessible to both government and private sector participants.{{Cite web |title=Digital public infrastructure |url=https://www.undp.org/digital/digital-public-infrastructure |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=UNDP |language=en}} These infrastructures aim to support the functioning of public services, governance, and economic processes. It can also be understood as an intermediate layer in the digital ecosystem enabling applications across various public sectors.{{Cite web |last=Marskell |first=Jonathan |last2=Marin |first2=Georgina |last3=Varghese |first3=Minita |title=Digital Public Infrastructure: Transforming Service Delivery Across Sectors |url=https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/582c0d73-d367-423c-831d-0640814a7349/content |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240516122817/https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/582c0d73-d367-423c-831d-0640814a7349/content |archive-date=2024-05-16 |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=World Bank}}

Examples of DPI include India's Aadhaar system for digital identity, UPI for payments, and the India Stack data exchange framework.{{Cite news |date=2023-02-24 |title=Scale of digital public infrastructure staggering: UIDAI CEO Saurabh Garg |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/scale-of-digital-public-infrastructure-staggering-uidai-ceo-saurabh-garg/articleshow/98207044.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2025-02-22 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}} Another example of digital public infrastructures is Estonia’s X-Road, which is an open-source government data exchange system.{{Cite web |last=Krewer |first=Jan |date=March 13, 2024 |title=Signs of progress: Digital Public Infrastructure is gaining traction |url=https://openfuture.eu/blog/signs-of-progress-digital-public-infrastructure-is-gaining-traction/ |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Open Future CCBY |language=en-US}} Initiatives such as the German Sovereign Tech Fund provides funding for open digital infrastructure.

DPI plays a role in modernizing public services by supporting initiatives in areas like e-governance, health records management, and education. By ensuring the availability and operation of digital infrastructures, it can affect the efficiency of public service delivery and influence trust in digital systems.{{Cite web |title=What is digital public infrastructure? |url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/digital-public-infrastructure |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Gates Foundation |language=en}} The implementation of DPI involves addressing issues related to privacy, data security, and equitable access to ensure its impact across different segments of the population. It also implies governments taking more responsibility in the maintenance of the underlying technological stack for the digital public sphere to build a shared public infrastructure that prioritizes public values, democracy, and accessibility.{{Cite news |title=How digital public infrastructure supports empowerment, inclusion, and resilience |url=https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/digital-development/how-digital-public-infrastructure-supports-empowerment-inclusion-and-resilience |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241210014040/https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/digital-development/how-digital-public-infrastructure-supports-empowerment-inclusion-and-resilience |archive-date=2024-12-10 |access-date=2025-02-22 |work=World Bank Blogs |language=en}}

Since 2020s, the public discussion about digital public infrastructure is gaining traction, with actors ranging from the Indian government to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) or private sector giants like Huawei, Amazon Web Services, and Mastercard endorsing its importance. It’s seen as a solution to numerous contemporary issues, from enhancing digital sovereignty to improving connectivity and interoperability among digital services and products.