Introducing DAAS – DPI as a Packaged Solution
An easily deployable model for various DPI building blocks through packaged product pilots. The DaaS products significantly reduce the time, cost, and workforce required to build local, use-case driven DPI.
In this article from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, published on February 13, 2024, proposes a new model for deploying Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) called “DPI as a Packaged Solution” (DaaS) to enable rapid global adoption, particularly for countries with smaller populations.
Key points include:
DPI’s Global Impact
DPI, exemplified by India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with over 12 billion monthly transactions, promotes innovation, avoids monopolistic systems, and fosters fair competition by preventing vendor lock-in. It enables efficient government-to-people payments, as seen in India’s rapid deployment of pandemic assistance and vaccination platforms.
Challenges of Traditional DPI Deployment
Large-scale DPI implementation is complex, requiring significant political will, technical capacity, and time (often 2–3 years for pilots). This model suits countries with large economies and tech talent but is less feasible for smaller nations with populations under 1 million.
3. **DaaS Model**: The proposed DaaS model offers a cloud-hosted, scalable solution to streamline DPI deployment, reducing friction and enabling faster adoption for smaller jurisdictions (over 75 globally). It contrasts with India’s tailored approach, which may not suit all contexts.
4. **Global Momentum**: The 50-in-5 campaign, launched in November 2023, aims to support 50 countries in scaling DPI components. Countries like India, Brazil, Estonia, and Singapore serve as models for achieving financial inclusion and development goals through DPI.
Economic and Social Benefits
DPI facilitates innovation, economic growth, and efficient public service delivery, but its success depends on collaboration, trust, and balancing public-private interests.
The article emphasizes that the DaaS model could accelerate DPI adoption globally, especially in resource-constrained settings, by simplifying implementation and leveraging successful examples like India’s.
