Who can be our Nandan Nilekani?
All of our important stakeholders, including those in the government, are now talking about reforms. I was very intrigued when the state minister for ICT on the second day of his joining the new cabinet asked me who could our Nandan Nilekani be?
In the past decade or so, we have witnessed some progress in terms of infrastructure development and technological advancement. However, in the coming years, Bangladesh needs to emphasise even more on increasing public sector efficiency as well as developing an ecosystem that is welcoming to innovations and digital transformation.
If we look into the digital transformation journey of India, the effort has been simultaneous in both the public and private sectors. The discussion of the private sector's contribution to the development of India can't take place without mentioning the name of Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and a visionary whose legacy transcends conventional boundaries and symbolises the intersection of technology, governance, and social progress.
He has devised India's digital public infrastructure ecosystem, encompassing components like digital identification, payment infrastructure, and central data repository solutions.
The Aadhaar card, a sophisticated biometric identity system for all Indians, is the brainchild of Nilekani, envisioned under the stewardship of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The ramifications of this initiative have been profound with significant improvement in transparency, efficiency, and accessibility for marginalised communities to social benefits.
As of today, 1.3 billion Indians possess a unique ID, profoundly influencing identity verification and granting access to digital education, healthcare, financial services, and government facilities through e-KYC.
Additionally, Nilekani made substantial contributions to society in healthcare with projects like the National Health Stack and the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, leveraging technology to digitise health records and enhance healthcare delivery systems. All these platforms are integrated with the Aadhaar system.
Although we already have the smart card which is poised to be of similar use at some point in the future, it is nowhere near as integrated into various other utilities and services as the Aadhaar card.
Nilekani's vision was extended to financial inclusion through initiatives such as establishing the National Payments Corporation of India in 2008.
His most significant contribution to the realm of digital payments was the launch of UPI in 2015. UPI introduced an open architecture platform enabling banks to develop their own apps and services atop it. These platforms facilitate seamless digital transactions.
Somewhat similarly in Bangladesh, bKash and Nagad have made significant advancements in terms of wide usage of mobile financial services. However, the level of uniformity and alliance with the central bank and between other financial institutions achieved by UPI in India is yet to be realised in Bangladesh.
Nilekani continued his transformative journey with the creation of the Goods and Services Tax Network during Narendra Modi's tenure. This groundbreaking platform revolutionised India's tax ecosystem. Such a level of automation and innovative sophistication in Bangladesh's taxation system is still a distant dream.
Nandan Nilekani has also played a crucial role in India's digital transformation within the transport sector through initiatives like FASTag electronic toll collection. Such initiatives may also be strongly considered for Bangladesh as our own highway and expressway systems are gradually improving.
A solid foundation for Bangladesh's sustainable development journey requires improvements in areas of financial inclusion and healthcare. Bangladesh can address socio-economic disparities and empower marginalised communities by emulating Nilekani's emphasis on interoperable and inclusive digital platforms.
Many government platforms operate in silos, leading to a fragmented user experience and offering minimal value. Smart Bangladesh requires integration between all these platforms, making them open to the private sector while ensuring the privacy of the people. Moreover, his advocacy for open data ecosystems and digital innovation hubs can serve as a catalyst for Bangladesh's burgeoning startup ecosystem.
The author is an economic analyst