India, July 11 -- Speaking at the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared, "India has successfully built a digital public infrastructure (DPI) for over 1.4 billion people at a very low cost. It is built around an open and accessible network. It has regulations, and a wide range of applications to modernise our economy, reform governance and transform the lives of our people." Indeed, DPIs and related digital goods and services have proven their potential for driving digital inclusion, boosting service delivery and innovation, and ensuring digital human rights without compromising on trust and security.
Encouraged by the scale of success, several other states in the Global South have begun to build ...