In today’s fast-changing digital landscape, technology is reshaping how citizens interact with government and access essential services. Imagine filing a tax return in under five minutes as in Estonia, or an Indian street vendor receiving immediate digital payment confirmation—such everyday scenarios underscore the sweeping changes driven by digital solutions. At the heart of these transformations lies progressive governance and the intentional development of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

DPIs are robust, secure, and interoperable digital systems designed to deliver a wide range of public and private services. Well-known examples include India’s Aadhaar for identity verification, Brazil’s Pix for payments, and Estonia’s X-road for data exchange. Aadhaar, for instance, provides biometric identification for more than a billion people, while X-road supports seamless information sharing across sectors. These systems demonstrate how carefully designed digital frameworks can drive efficiency and innovation. Governments play a central role in this process, ensuring that these infrastructures maximize public value. A recent UNDP report (2023) even suggests that effective DPIs can boost economic growth by 20–33%, cut carbon emissions, and enhance access to justice by 28–42% in low- and middle-income nations.

This article reviews three influential DPI implementations from Europe and Asia, focusing on their operational scale and societal impact. It then explores strategies for maximizing public value through people-centric and responsibly designed approaches, emphasizing how DPIs can promote inclusivity and sustainability.

Norway: National Joint Solutions
Norway’s Agency for Digital Government (Digdir) has pioneered the “National Joint Solutions” initiative—a collection of DPI components that modernize public digital services. This suite includes digital signing, identity verification, developer-friendly APIs, and Altinn, a comprehensive platform that integrates these services. Initially launched in 2003 as a basic form-submission portal, Altinn has grown into an advanced open-source platform used by over 70 agencies and municipalities to build, host, and manage digital services.

This integrated approach has also benefited the private sector significantly. For example, the streamlined financial reporting enabled by Altinn is estimated to save Norwegian businesses about $1.3 billion every year (Digdir, 2020). Such figures underscore the economic advantages that can be unlocked when DPIs are designed to serve both public interests and private sector needs.

Estonia: X-road Data Exchange
In Estonia, the approach to digital governance is embodied in the X-road system—a decentralized data sharing platform that has reshaped how data flows between public and private organizations. Rather than funneling information through one central hub, X-road enables institutions to share data securely and automatically, thereby enhancing both privacy and operational efficiency.

Serving as the backbone of Estonia’s digital society, X-road supports a variety of services such as e-Identity, electronic healthcare, and even e-Marriage registration. Its open-source nature means that different government bodies and private companies can interact in real time, ensuring that data remains both accessible and well-protected. The system’s decentralized design plays a crucial role in minimizing vulnerabilities; by not storing data in one central location, the risk of breaches is significantly reduced—a feature that sets Estonia’s model apart and has attracted international interest.

Indeed, Estonia’s digital expertise extends beyond its borders. Collaborations with nations such as Finland, Iceland, and Japan underscore the global appeal of the X-road model. Today, this network connects over 450 institutions, 150 public organizations, and 1,300 information systems, supporting more than 3,000 digital services. This boost in efficiency has led to large time savings, equivalent to an annual output of 1,400 FTEs, contributing nearly 2% of the country’s GDP. Furthermore, by aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, X-road not only bolsters economic growth but also enhances access to essential services like healthcare and clean energy.

India: India Stack
India Stack is a transformative suite of open APIs and digital public goods that has fundamentally redefined identity, data management, and payment systems at a national scale. At its heart lies Aadhaar, which uses biometric verification to provide secure identities to billions of citizens. Complementing this are UPI, which facilitates instant payments; DigiLocker, which offers a safe space for digital documents; and an innovative Account Aggregator framework designed for consent-based data sharing.

This digital ecosystem has been a game-changer for India, successfully bringing 1.3 billion people online and integrating about 500 million into the formal banking system. Beyond mere connectivity, India Stack has spurred economic activity, boosted entrepreneurship, and significantly reduced financial exclusion. A striking example of its impact is the surge in bank account ownership—from 35% in 2011 to 71% in 2021—nearly reaching gender parity, according to recent ORF data (2024).

The robustness of India Stack was further demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CoWIN vaccination platform, built on this digital foundation, managed the administration of over one billion vaccine doses in just nine months. This instance clearly shows how resilient and adaptable a well-designed digital infrastructure can be in times of crisis, ultimately paving the way for a more inclusive and dynamic digital economy.

Building People-Centric DPIs

The examples above illustrate that DPIs can act as powerful engines of change when thoughtfully implemented. Norway’s focus on creating interoperable systems through Altinn demonstrates how integrated digital ecosystems can reduce administrative burdens and enhance private sector participation. Estonia’s X-road shows that secure, scalable data exchange can drive efficiency while supporting sustainability objectives. Meanwhile, India Stack highlights the profound impact that population-scale, inclusive solutions can have on financial inclusion and overall societal resilience.

Yet, for DPIs to succeed, technological innovation must be paired with a steadfast commitment to public value. Poorly designed systems can exacerbate social inequities—as seen when the U.S. encountered hurdles in disbursing cash during the COVID-19 pandemic due to exclusionary mechanisms. To ensure DPIs serve all citizens equitably, their development should be guided by four fundamental principles: directionality, inclusivity, accessibility, and accountability.

1. Directionality: Setting a Clear Purpose
A clear, mission-driven strategy is crucial for DPI success. When the goals are well defined, development accelerates, and stakeholders rally around shared objectives. India’s Aadhaar, launched with the intent to eliminate subsidy leakage via direct benefit transfers, quickly evolved to support a broad array of applications. Similarly, Estonia’s ambition to become a completely digital society has fueled innovations that streamline even complex processes like marriage and divorce registrations. Conversely, Jamaica’s identity system, which suffered from a lack of a clearly communicated mission, struggled to earn public trust and achieve widespread adoption.

2. Inclusivity: Engaging Diverse Stakeholders
For DPIs to truly succeed, they must reflect the needs of all user groups. Brazil’s Pix payment system is a strong example of inclusive design—it was developed in collaboration with banks, fintech innovators, small business owners, and civil society. This cooperative approach not only built trust but also ensured broad adoption and equitable outcomes. Inclusivity must be seen as a strategic foundation, not just a design detail, to build long-term stakeholder confidence.

3. Accessibility: Bridging Digital Divides
Ensuring that digital systems reach every segment of society, especially the underserved, is critical. India’s UPI123Pay service, which allows feature-phone users to access digital transactions, is a clear example of addressing connectivity and affordability challenges head on. By building accessible platforms, DPIs can prevent the deepening of social divides and ensure that digital transformation benefits everyone.

4. Accountability: Ensuring Trust and Security
Establishing trust is important in any successful digital initiative. For example, Estonia’s e-health portal empowers individuals by allowing them to see who accesses their personal data, thereby enhancing transparency and security. By embedding strong privacy measures and transparent governance protocols, DPIs can protect user data while building public confidence. Similarly, Barcelona’s open-source data-sharing framework shows that balancing openness with safeguards is key to sustaining trust over time.

Conclusion

Looking at what’s happening in Norway, Estonia, and India, it’s clear that Digital Public Infrastructure is about much more than just advanced technology. It’s a fresh way of thinking about governance—one where innovation, fairness, and sustainability really matter. These examples show us that when we design digital systems with a clear purpose, involve everyone in the process, make them easy to use, and build in strong safeguards, we can create services that genuinely improve people’s lives.

For those of us who care about making a difference through public policy, the takeaway is simple: start small by laying down the basics, like digital identities and payments, and then expand from there through collaboration with communities.

Ultimately, it all comes down to building trust and ensuring that these systems evolve alongside our changing needs. We must focus on having a clear direction, making services easily accessible, and holding everyone accountable, we can create digital infrastructure that truly works for everyone and addresses some of our toughest challenges.

With careful planning and a genuine commitment to serving the public, DPIs can do far more than just streamline services. They have the power to transform entire communities and pave the way for a fairer, more sustainable future.

References:

• Cybernetica (2021)
• Journal of Economic Policy Reform (2023)
• IIPP (2024)
• OECD (2024)
• UNDP (2023)
• Urban Institute (2020)
• PwC (2024)