In an increasingly digital and interconnected world, digital identity is more important than ever for citizens. However, more than 850 million people in the world have no legal or verifiable proof of identity. A secure and strong identity system not only identifies a citizen but also increases the level of trust which enables governments to effectively provide services and empower people.
Aadhaar was introduced in India in the year 2010 – using minimal demographic and biometric information, it rapidly became a catalyst for linking an individual’s digital identity to social security schemes and benefits, thus empowering the underprivileged and the marginalized. The population was also enabled to be included.
The recently concluded G20 Summit in New Delhi recognized the need for Digital Public Goods (DPG) in operationalizing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Deloitte recently released a framework for DPIs to help countries understand, implement and harness the potential of DPIs to accelerate digital transformation while promoting inclusive and sustainable development. As countries move on the journey of inclusive digital identity systems, one cannot ignore the important role of the Indian DPG i.e. Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP).
Founded in 2018 and incubated at IIT Bengaluru, MOSIP has immense potential to be recognized as one of the world’s most comprehensive open-source ID platforms. It has emerged as particularly useful for countries with low IT capacity and infrastructure to implement identity solutions. The MOSIP platform is in various stages of implementation by countries. National rollouts are currently being conducted in Morocco, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Togo, Uganda, Sri Lanka and Cambodia, with a full pilot in Burkina Faso. Pilot projects are in progress in Guinea, Niger, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, Congo, Peru, Nigeria, Zambia and Mexico.
MOSIP is built on the foundation of data security and privacy which not only acts as a bridge between social security and digital identity but can also be customized to meet the service delivery needs of the country. In 2023, two additional modules, INJI – Digital Wallet and eSignet – Digital Identity Verification, were released, allowing countries to authenticate identities and issue verifiable credentials with a focus on building trust in digital transactions.
In addition, MOSIP also allows easy integration with other relevant DPGs such as OpenCVRS which registers births and deaths and Open G2P which enables government-to-person digital payments. Therefore, MOSIP cannot be the sole engine driving a country’s digital ID solutions, as it requires biometric device vendors, deduplication software, card or credential printing machines, and system integrators – all of which are required to keep the system fully functional. Let’s make.
Pramod Verma, Chief Architect of Aadhaar, in one of his interviews highlighted that the success of Aadhaar is attributed to three main principles i.e. absolute minimalism, open source and ecosystem play. MOSIP seeks to build on this foundation and allow countries to include interoperable modules within its scope:
· To be horizontally scalable such that every citizen of the country is covered.
· Ensuring the security and privacy of citizens with a consent framework that allows users to choose what to share and where.
Making personally identifiable information inaccessible to outside parties without user consent, thereby establishing trust.
· Allowing widespread use and seamless integration.
· To encourage healthy competition by remaining vendor neutral and reducing costs to the country compared to black box solutions.
· By creating an ecosystem of strong advisory and implementing partners for advocacy and implementation of the platform.
Countries in the Global South need support on technical know-how, domain knowledge, capacity building and strong institutional mechanisms to execute and maintain such a large-scale digital ID ecosystem. MOSIP is a remarkable innovation that can act as an enabler for these countries to achieve their larger socioeconomic and sustainable development goals. However, there is a strong need to strengthen trust and foster relationships with network countries as there may be reluctance to use a freely available product. Second, every country has its own regulatory and legal framework. Therefore, adaptation of MOSIP to fit into a country’s regulatory framework without violating any laws will require thorough evaluation.
In short, MOSIP provides a path to inclusive digital identity, enabling nations to empower their citizens. Creation of digital identity through MOSIP will help governments ensure smooth implementation of social security measures.
This article is written by Amit Singh, Partner, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP.
