India’s leadership in building scalable, inclusive, and open-source Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has gained global recognition. From Aadhaar to UPI to DigiLocker, India’s DPI ecosystem is transforming the way governments, citizens, and markets interact. To institutionalize this momentum and provide a structured path forward, the Indian government is now conceptualizing the Dhruva Policy a strategic and governance framework for DPI.
Named after the Dhruva star, which denotes direction and constancy, this policy aims to guide India’s DPI architecture with clarity, resilience, and foresight.
What is the Dhruva Policy?
The Dhruva Policy is a proposed national framework that aims to standardize, secure, and scale Digital Public Infrastructure in India. It envisions DPI not merely as a technical or digital layer, but as a critical pillar of public service delivery, innovation, inclusion, and governance.
The policy recognizes that while India has pioneered several digital layers such as Aadhaar (identity), UPI (payments), and ONDC (e-commerce) there is an urgent need to bring coherence, accountability, and sustainability to this growing ecosystem.
The Dhruva framework provides a unified approach to DPI design, governance, funding, and international partnerships.
Objectives of the Dhruva Policy
- Unified DPI Governance Model
Dhruva proposes a governance structure where interoperability, privacy, security, and citizen rights are integrated into the very design of digital systems. - Scalable Infrastructure Principles
It promotes modular, open-source, and API-based architecture, enabling India’s DPI to grow across sectors such as health, education, logistics, agriculture, and law. - Ethical & Inclusive Design
A core goal is to embed ethics, equity, and accessibility into infrastructure to ensure no citizen or enterprise is left behind. - Global DPI Diplomacy
With initiatives like the India Stack being adopted in countries like the Philippines and Sri Lanka, Dhruva also outlines India’s global DPI export strategy. - Public-Private Partnerships
Dhruva encourages collaboration with startups, civil society, and academia in the co-creation and oversight of DPI.
Why Dhruva Policy Now?
India’s DPI journey has thus far been driven by a combination of state-led innovation, startup ecosystems, and multilateral engagements. However, the rapid expansion has also brought challenges:
- Lack of uniform regulatory standards
- Fragmentation across platforms
- Concerns around data privacy, monopolies, and exclusion
To address these, Dhruva acts as a compass balancing innovation with safeguards, speed with sustainability, and domestic needs with global relevance.
Key Pillars of Dhruva Policy
- Digital Sovereignty & Data Protection
Ensures that citizen data is stored, processed, and governed with full transparency and compliance with privacy laws. - Digital Commons & Open Standards
DPI should be non-proprietary and publicly accountable, enabling innovation while preventing monopolistic control. - Interoperability & Reusability
Building blocks should plug into each other seamlessly (e.g., CoWIN into Ayushman Bharat), creating a layered but unified public tech infrastructure. - Trust Frameworks
From digital IDs to consent managers (like Sahamati), Dhruva promotes frameworks that place the user at the center.
Global Resonance
India is increasingly being seen as a DPI superpower. In forums such as the G20, India has proposed the Digital Public Infrastructure Repository, sharing technical knowledge and open-source code with developing nations. The India Stack is already being piloted or adapted in over a dozen countries.
The Dhruva Policy will allow India to formalize this leadership, offering a replicable model backed by legal, financial, and ethical guarantees.
Challenges Ahead
Despite its promise, implementing the Dhruva Policy won’t be without hurdles:
- Need for cross-ministerial alignment
- Managing cybersecurity threats
- Balancing public interest with private innovation
- Ensuring rural inclusion and digital literacy
The policy must also address the tension between centralization and federalism, ensuring states can adapt DPI to their local contexts.
Conclusion
The Dhruva Policy is not just about tech. It is about building a digitally sovereign, inclusive, and ethical future. It seeks to give direction to India’s DPI journey ensuring that as India builds more digital highways, it also puts up the necessary signboards, guardrails, and toll-free access points for every citizen.
As the pole star of India’s digital governance vision, Dhruva holds the potential to transform how the state interacts with its people and how India shapes the future of public digital goods across the world.
Sources:
- https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2132858&utm_
- https://ddnews.gov.in/en/centre-launches-geo-coded-address-system-under-dhruva-policy/?utm_
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