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Conversations
#decODEconversations Episode 8

“Unlocking the power of ‘Open Data’: Why it’s important and how to make it happen,” features Ms. Anna Roy, Senior Adviser, NITI Aayog and Dr. Sam Asher, Co-Founder, Development Data Lab – champions of ‘open’ data.

16 March 2023
Conversations
#decODEconversations Episode 7

‘Enabling Innovation : Financial inclusion and the Open Digital Ecosystems landscape,‘ featuring Rajesh Bansal, CEO, Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH).

31 January 2023
Conversations
#decODEconversations Episode 6

This #decODEconversation with Anjali Bansal and Sujith Nair is about 'Newer Frontiers of Open Digital Ecosystems: Skills, Mobility, Commerce and Beyond

17 March 2022
Conversations
#decODEconversations Episode 5

The conversation explores India's GovTech journey so far and looks ahead at what's next

9 February 2022
Conversations
#decODEconversations Episode 4

The conversation explores the fascinating road traversed by digital transformations across the world

7 November 2021
Conversations
#decODEconversations Episode 3

A conversation with Hemendra Mathur and Rikin Gandhi, about the Agri Open Digital Ecosystem (ODE)

22 September 2021
Conversations
#decODEconversations Episode 2

A conversation with Peter Rabley and Venkatesh Hariharan, about Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), practical challenges versus benefits in its usage and lots more.

2 August 2021
Conversations
#decODEconversations Episode 1

A conversation about the NDHM sandbox, innovation, last-mile access, and more with Kiran Anandampillai.

11 June 2021
Conversations
Introducing the decODE blog

What are Open Digital Ecosystems (ODEs)?

9 June 2021
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What are Open Digital Ecosystems (ODEs)?

ODEs are “open and secure Digital Platforms that enable a Community of actors to unlock transformative solutions for society, based on a robust Governance framework."

Governance

Governance

Laws and rules that govern the ecosystem and accountable institutions (government and non-government) that uphold these rules.

Community

community

Collaborative community who transact via the digital platform, to create value for all.

Digital Platforms

Digital Platforms

Technology infrastructure that facilitates co-creation for the delivery of solutions to end-users.

    Governance

    Laws and rules that govern the ecosystem and accountable institutions that uphold these rules, related to:

  • Fair and equitable platform access and outcomes
  • Robust data privacy and security
  • Sustainable funding model
  • Digital-ready talent and expertise
  • Domain-specific policies and standards

    Community

    Collaborative community of actors who transact via the digital platform to create value for all.

  • Builders: Public or private enterprises, and developers, co-creating digital platforms and / or leveraging them to build new solutions.
  • End-users: Individuals and entities accessing services and enabling feedback loops.
  • Facilitators: Ecosystem participants (e.g. CSOs, academia, philanthropies) involved in the governance, financing, research, etc., of ODEs.

    Digital Platforms

    Technology infrastructure that facilitates co-creation for the delivery of services to end-users.

  • Technology infrastructure includes data exchanges and registries, ID, open stacks, etc.
  • End-user solutions may be public goods or proprietary services
  • Open APIs, standards, and protocols enable interoperability
Governance

Governance

Community

Community

Digital Platforms

Digital
Platforms

Transition to ODEs has begun in India

Several public and private institutions have started to build ODEs in various sectors such as health, urban governance, e-commerce, mobility and education. A few examples of digital public infrastructure that exhibit a large number of ODE characteristics, and are gradually evolving into full-fledged ODEs, include:

Impact potential of National ODEs for India

ODEs have the potential to unlock significant economic, societal and governance benefits across major spaces info

Economic Impact

USD 700+ billion (INR 50+ lakh Cr)

  • health
    Health
    info

    1-3+ years increase expected in life expectancy

  • Talent
    Talent
    info

    50-80M+ people expected to be matched into better-fit jobs

  • Urban Governance
    Urban Governance
    info

    100+ hours of time per person per year expected to be saved due to smart mobility solutions

  • Agriculture
    Agriculture
    info

    1.5X increase expected in farmers' incomes

  • Law & Justice
    Law & Justice
    info

    2-6M court cases that have been pending 3+ years to be resolved

  • Logistics
    Logistics
    info

    5-15% efficiency savings expected in national logistics expenditure

  • Education
    Education
    info

    15-25M+ student drop outs expected to stay in school

  • State Service Delivery
    State Service Delivery
    info

    20% more eligible citizens expected to be included in the social safety net

  • E-Land Records
    E-Land Records
    info

    1M people and 250,000 hectares of land expected to be impacted via resolved land conflicts

  • MSME
    MSME
    info

    10-20M+ MSMEs expected to be included in the formal financial system

Economic Impact

USD 700+ billion
(INR 50+ lakh Cr)

  • health
  • Talent
  • Urban Governance
  • Agriculture
  • Law & Justice
  • Logistics
  • Education
  • State Service Delivery
  • E-Land Records
  • MSME

Want to know more about ODEs? Get started with our principles

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5A98F2F9-1860-4512-8B14-14DE7EE56A78 0913EA93-694B-4BE8-9DCF-0FE3130F66D8

Risks associated with ODEs

The fundamental shifts of the ODE approach can give rise to a set of risks that need to be tackled proactively to minimize harms. We have categorized these risks under two heads - ODE-Specific and Other Digital Platform Risks.

ODE - specific risks

Data Centralization Risk

Data Centralization

Data Centralization Risk

Data Centralization risk arises due to aggregation of personal data from multiple sources into a single database, increasing the chance of its misuse or replicating errors due to its poor quality.

    Key drivers:

  • Creation of a single point of failure.
  • Reliance on poor quality data as a 'single source of truth'.
  • Inadequate privacy and security safeguards to protect access to sensitive personal data.

    Potential consequences:

  • Misuse of personal data by public and / or private sector actors potentially for unauthorised profiling, surveillance and behavioral manipulation, etc.
  • Increased cost of reliance on incomplete or incorrect (poor quality) data, leading to incorrect targeting of individuals or wrongful exclusion of beneficiaries.

Builder Adoption Risk

Builder Adoption Risk

Builder Adoption Risk

Builder adoption risk arises if the builder community is unable or unwilling to adequately leverage the technology infrastructure to build new and innovative solutions on top.

    Key drivers:

  • Lack of awareness of the availability, usage and impact potential of the digital platform.
  • Poor quality of the digital platform (including data).
  • Lack of incentives or funding to build new solutions on top of the digital platform.

    Potential consequences:

  • Curbing private sector innovation.
  • Limited economic, societal and governance impact potential of ODEs.

Other digital platform risks

Exclusion Risk

Exclusion

Exclusion Risk

Exclusion arises due to technological or socio-economic barriers, preventing certain segments of the population from accessing services.

    Key drivers:

  • Lack of access to technology infrastructure, i.e. internet connectivity, smartphones and/ or poor digital literacy.
  • Non-inclusion of the informal sector.
  • Disintermediation of the public sector by private players.

    Potential consequences:

  • Adverse impact on livelihoods and quality of living.
  • Reduced public trust in government.

Operational Management Risk

Operational Management

Operational Management Risk

Operational management risk, associated with government ICT builds, arises due to challenges with procurement and contracting, talent management, and funding.

    Key drivers:

  • Lack of expertise in procurement and contracting.
  • Lack of required talent for digital development and inadequate talent management.
  • Paucity of financing options for technology interventions.

    Potential consequences:

  • Lack of adoption of the ODE approach and improper implementation.
  • Failure to sustain the ODE approach in the longer-term .

To learn about mitigation of this risk, click here