India has the best digital infrastructure in the world: Adil Zainulbhai

Chandigarh, January 30, 2025: Leading management consultant and Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission, Government of India, Adil Zainulbhai, today said that India has the best digital infrastructure in the world in many areas, designed by young Indians, many of whom were students. The implementation of Aadhar gave us confidence that we (India) can start building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) that is not only as good as anywhere in the world but we should be ahead of the world and then we should be in a position to give it to the rest of the world, he added.
 
Zainulbhai was delivering the prestigious PU Colloquium lecture at Panjab University today on the topic “Digital Public Infrastructure and How It Changes India.” He is also overseeing Mission Karmayogi, an initiative of the Government of India aimed at equipping civil servants with the training and tools needed to enhance their efficiency and develop capacity-building plans.
 
In his well-attended lecture, Zainulbhai explained how India's digital public infrastructure, built on Aadhaar, has laid the foundation for innovative applications. He cited the example of UPI-based transactions, which are the cheapest in India due to low data costs and minimal transaction charges. He also highlighted applications such as patient health data management, the CoWIN app, the development of an online common job application platform, commercial portals like GeM, and direct-to-beneficiary transfers, all of which have made public services more accessible, cost-effective, and efficient.
 
Zainulbhai further informed the audience that about thirty countries from the Global South are leveraging these applications to develop their own digital infrastructure. Additionally, the Indian private sector is building successful businesses using this robust digital foundation. DPIs will lay the future for India to become 8 trillion economy by 2030 and help India achieve the target of 1 trillion Dollar digital economy, he further added.
 
 
PU Vice Chancellor Prof. Renu Vig presided over the event. Many dignitaries, including PU Dean of University Instruction Prof. Rumina Sethi, Director of the Research and Development Cell Prof. Yojna Rawat, Director of Punjab Engineering College Prof. Rajesh Bhatia, Former PU Vice Chancellor Prof. Arun K. Grover, along with a large number of faculty members and scholars, attended the colloquium.
 
The Coordinator of the PU Colloquium Series, Prof. Desh Deepak Singh, informed that the session was highly interactive, with young scholars engaging Mr. Zainulbhai in discussions on topics such as data security, artificial intelligence, online training modules for youth, and future developments in digital infrastructure. The program concluded with a vote of thanks.