India-ASEAN Cooperation: Pilot Study on Digital Public Infrastructure Collaboration
Date:
14 October 2024Category:
Connectivity, ASEAN, India, Innovation and TechnologyType:
Research Project ReportsTags:
India, ASEAN, India-ASEAN Cooperation, Digital Public Infrastructure, Digital Economy, Financial TechnologyPrint Article:
At the 21st ASEAN–India Summit held in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on 10 October 2024, India and ASEAN issued the ‘ASEAN–India Joint Statement on Advancing Digital Transformation.’ This statement sets the foundation for cooperation between India and ASEAN in building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), aimed at deeper economic and social integration as well as capacity building. During the ASEAN–India Summit in Jakarta on 7 September 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of digital connectivity as a key pillar of ASEAN–India connectivity.
This study addresses the digital aspect of ASEAN–India connectivity, focusing on the development of a Digital Architecture that enables businesses and social activities between India and ASEAN to operate more efficiently, drive innovation, and respond to evolving customer demands in the digital and fintech sectors.
India’s DPI is supported by a range of government, regulatory, market, and civil society initiatives. Key components include Aadhaar, a biometric identity system with 1.38 billion users; the Jan-Dhan Scheme, which has onboarded over 500 million bank accounts and holds US$24 billion in deposits; the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), facilitating over 12 billion monthly transactions; and the Direct Benefits Transfers (DBT) programme, delivering over US$427 billion in cash and in-kind benefits, saving US$42 billion in the past decade. These initiatives have advanced financial inclusion, credit access, insurance penetration, and economic growth in India.
This report explores the DPI ecosystem in India and ASEAN, providing strategic recommendations for implementing DPI to support ASEAN’s digital transformation efforts.
