#BoomingAfrica: frugal innovation and digital sovereignty

We often hear: "Digital transformation is at the heart of development, but the digital divide is a major obstacle: limited infrastructure, high costs, lack of skills, cybersecurity…". What if we stopped thinking that digital transformation depends solely on giant data centres, colossal budgets or 5G networks everywhere? It is often thought that to succeed in digital transformation you need giant data centres, 5G networks everywhere, colossal budgets. This is false. The India Stack proves the opposite: it was designed on an open, modular and interoperable approach, without depending on large private clouds.

The India Stack, a model of public digital infrastructure success?

While the entire world was severely affected by the economic difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbated by the disruption of supply chains, it was the India Stack technology that enabled India to avoid a critical situation spiralling out of control and to save its most disadvantaged citizens by sending them money and supplies without delay.

Even the most developed countries struggled to deliver food and essential medical supplies to their citizens during this period. Witnessing India's success, many countries not only praised "India Stack" but also expressed interest in acquiring the system. But concretely, how did India pull off this feat? The answer lies in three interconnected innovations that transformed the lives of 1.4 billion people.