Focus Areas - Digital Public Infrastructure
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Advancing Interoperability through EU-India Collaboration
Digital Public Infrastructure
Context
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) enables services such as digital identity, payments, and data exchange. India’s DPI initiatives, in particular digital identity solutions like Aadhaar, DigiLocker and MOSIP, have shown the potential of scalable, open infrastructures. The EU is advancing similar efforts, including the European Digital Identity Wallet.
With both regions aiming to build open, secure, and citizen-centric digital ecosystems,they are also exploring interoperability of their stacks. Interoperability is the ability of systems to work seamlessly across borders and sectors. While respecting privacy and regulatory autonomy, this collaboration can empower citizens and businesses though access to trusted digital services.
Aligning on shared principles, technical standards, and governance frameworks also enhance digital sovereignty, innovation, and global digital governance.
Yet, achieving interoperability poses challenges: technical fragmentation, policy divergence, and differing data governance approaches. Overcoming these requires joint dialogue, shared learning, and coordinated action between the EU and India.
Objectives
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Jointly setting goals to support financial inclusion, digital identity, and efficient public service delivery through DPI.
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Enabling technical interoperability between the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI) and India’s digital identity solutions, to facilitate cross-border trade, travel, and data exchanges.
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Setting up triangular cooperation to jointly promote DPI in third countries.
Our Approach
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Mapping the feasibility of interoperability and assessing the legal, technical and operational actions to achieve interoperability between EUDI and Indian digital identity solutions.
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Creating a foundation to pilot use cases targeting businesses and talent mobility.
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Encouraging multi-stakeholder dialogue to foster a common understanding of interoperability frameworks and policy implications.
Current State of Cooperation
The EU and India have initiated dialogues on aligning digital public infrastructure efforts, are actively engaged in global forums promoting openness and interoperability, and share a common focus on building modular, inclusive, and secure DPI frameworks. A feasibility study is underway to assess interoperability potential and strategic alignment.
Key Areas for Further Collaboration
- Technical Interoperability: Joint development of identity standards and Application Programming Interfaces to facilitate cross border trade, mobility and data exchanges.
- Policy & Governance Alignment: Dialogues on data protection, trust frameworks, and common principles for DPI oversight.
- Innovation & Research Collaboration: Shared pilots, open-source contributions, and joint benchmarking tools.
- Capacity Building & Knowledge Exchange: Training formats, study visits, and expert secondments between EU and India.
Moving Forward
- Planned workshops and technical exchanges will translate strategic discussions into practical next steps.
- These efforts aim to operationalise shared priorities, and support the development of globally relevant, trusted DPI systems that reflect both EU and Indian values.
Publications
