The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today has given its approval to a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 28^th  July, 2023 between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.

Details:

The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of experiences and digital technologies-based solutions (viz. INDIA STACK) in the implementation of digital transformational initiatives of both the country.

The MoU shall come into effect from the date of signature of the Parties and shall be remain in force for a period of 3 years.

Impact:

Both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation in the field of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) will be enhanced.

MoU envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT.

Background:

MeitY is collaborating with a number of countries and multilateral agencies for fostering bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the ICT domain.  Over the period, MeitY has entered into MoUs/MoCs/Agreements with its counterpart organizations/agencies from various countries to promote cooperation and exchange of information in the ICT domain. This is in consonance with the various initiatives taken by Government of India such as Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India etc. to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.  In this changing paradigm, there is an imminent need for exploring business opportunities, sharing of best practices and attracting investments in the digital sector with the objective of enhancing mutual cooperation.

Over the last few years, India has demonstrated its leadership in implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and has successfully provided delivery of services to public even during COVID pandemic.  As a result, many countries have evinced interest in learning from India’s experiences and entering into MoUs with India.

India Stack Solutions are a DPIs developed and implemented by India at population scale to provide access and delivery of public services. It aims to enhance connectivity, promote digital inclusion, and enable seamless access to public services.  These are built on open technologies, are interoperable and are designed to harness industry and community participation which fosters innovative and inclusive solutions.  However, each country has unique needs and challenges in building DPI, although the basic functionality is similar, allowing for global cooperation.   

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DS/SK