Embassy of India hosts seminar on digital public infrastructure for India-Nepal connectivity

KATHMANDU: The Embassy of India in Kathmandu, in collaboration with UNDP Nepal and the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), organized a seminar on “Digital Public Infrastructure: Innovating Together towards India-Nepal Digital Bridges.”

Held with the support of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on December 12, 2023, the event aimed to explore the transformative potential of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in fostering innovation within the digital economy, with a particular focus on enhancing India-Nepal digital connectivity.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, highlighting Nepal’s commitment to adopting digital technologies and encouraging collaboration between India and Nepal in the technology sector. The Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) partnered with the Embassy and represented the industry at the event.

Drawing insights from India’s best practices and global DPI experiences, the seminar provided a comprehensive overview of DPI use cases to over 200 government officials, industry representatives, startups, academia, and other stakeholders from Nepal.

Ambassador of India to Nepal, Shri Naveen Srivastava, emphasized the significance of DPI under India’s G20 Presidency and the G20 Framework for Systems of Digital Public Infrastructure. He elaborated on how digital technology can facilitate developmental leaps, reflecting on India’s experiences.

The keynote address by Dr. Pramod Varma, Co-chair of the Center for Digital Public Infrastructure, highlighted the inclusive and sustainable economic development achieved through DPI, citing examples from India, including Unified Payments Interface, Digi Yatra, and Open Network for Digital Commerce.

Two panel discussions enriched the seminar with insights. The first discussed digital credentials and data storage, featuring perspectives from industry experts and officials such as Mr. Dipesh Bista, CEO, e-Governance Commission, and Mr. Shanker Das Bairagi, National Security Advisor, Government of Nepal.

The second panel, moderated by Dr. Biswash Gauchan, Executive Director, IIDS, focused on digital payment systems and advancing digital connectivity. Noteworthy highlights included the MOU between NPIL India and NCHL for cross-border digital payments, emphasizing the potential of digital payments to catalyze economic growth.

The seminar concluded with a valedictory address by Mr. Bam Bahadur Mishra, Deputy Governor, Nepal Rastra Bank, outlining NRB’s initiatives to promote digitalization and reaffirming NRB’s support for advancing digital payments infrastructure, including cross-border connectivity.