API Strategy & Practice Conference 2017

"Governments around the world are facing a unique challenge these days. Citizens with the use of social media and omnipresent information, are more vocal and cohesive. Incase of Governments, especially in the emerging world, are slow in delivering Governance, results can sometime be catastrophic. Lately we have seen mass movements in various countries that has led to chaos.

What the Governments in the emerging world need is Proactive Governance. Proactive Governance, means delivering public services to the right audience before the need becomes dissatisfaction.

Open APIs build by the Government can take reactive Governance to Proactive Governance. And this is actually happening in India. Digital India is the ideal example of How a country can transform using Open APIs.

A part of Digital India initiative, Aadhaar is the largest Biometric Identity Database in the world with 1.15 Billion enrollments and counting. Authentication APIs on this database is transforming the public delivery system and ensuring transparency and targeted delivery of benefits. The APIs are further utilized by the Private sector for instant delivery of services like, getting a phone connection or opening a bank account. This has also enabled door step banking in the rural areas, which largely were unbanked.

Aadhaar, part of Digital India initiative, is transforming the public delivery mechanism. And it is just an “API”."