India pitches its digital public tools for green energy transition at global meet

New Delhi: India’s digital public infrastructure that provided the technology foundation for Aadhaar and UPI can be used to meet net-zero targets and reduce carbon footprint for sustainable growth by the global south, Union commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal said on Friday.

India is also ready to share its expertise in using digital technology as ‘public goods’ to promote financial inclusion and productivity, he said, speaking at the 23rd meeting of ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The use of digital technology as ‘public goods’ has led to widespread benefit for Indians irrespective of their financial position, he added.

India has been actively engaging with international bodies such as the UN and the G20 to facilitate the exportation of its successful digital initiatives.

The government seeks to establish a framework for certifying and benchmarking its DPIs and digital public goods (DPGs), spurred by the success of programs like CoWin that was used to track administration of covid vaccination and UPI that millions of Indians use for real-time bank transfers from their mobile phones.

Known as the Indian Stack, India's digital infrastructure encompasses various platforms, including Aadhaar, Digital Locker, DigiYatra, UPI, developed through multi-sector collaboration, aiming to streamline access to government services and foster inclusive growth.

The goal of DPI is to provide a seamless and efficient way for citizens to access government services and promote inclusive development.

Green targets

Meanwhile, the Indian government has set a target to achieve at least 500 GW of non-fossil fuel installed capacity, which includes 280 GW of solar power and 140 GW of wind power projects, by 2030.

Speaking at the 23rd meeting of ministers of the SCO responsible for foreign economic and foreign trade activities, Barthwal also said paperless trading is a critical step towards streamlining cross-border transactions.

“The Commerce Secretary emphasised the need for strong connectivity to foster trade and economic development. However, while making such efforts to bolster connectivity projects, it is essential to build trust as well as transparency in our cooperative efforts,” India’s commerce ministry said in a statement.

During the meeting, the SCO ministers approved three documents covering different areas of cooperation:

• Framework for Cooperation of the SCO Member States in the sphere of Development of the Creative Economy
• Concept of Cooperation between the Trade Promotion Organizations of the SCO Member States
• Concept for the creation of Economic Preferences Base of the SCO Member States.

They also adopted a statement on issues of fair trade and sustainable development, the commerce ministry added.