AWS and EkStep Partner to Drive Innovation in Digital Public Infrastructure

Amazon Web Services (AWS) India Private Limited has joined forces with EkStep Foundation to establish a Joint Innovation Center (JIC) in India. This collaboration aims to facilitate the development of innovative digital solutions for public service delivery, with a focus on creating digital public goods (DPGs) and digital public infrastructures (DPIs). The JIC, built upon Amazon’s culture of innovation, aims to bring together stakeholders across the digital value chain to drive social transformation on a large scale.

The Nasscom-Arthur D. Little report highlights the potential economic value addition from DPIs to India’s GDP, indicating significant growth opportunities. The JIC will serve as a platform for key stakeholders, including DPG/DPI owners, developers, enablers like startups and system integrators, and adopters/implementers such as governments and private sector entities, to collaborate and develop solutions for various sectors like education, agriculture, finance, healthcare, and climate change.

The focus of the JIC will be on supporting startups, ISVs, and SIs in leveraging technologies such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence to innovate and enhance existing DPGs and DPIs. These solutions will be made easily accessible through the AWS Partner Network, facilitating one-click deployment and global distribution through platforms like AWS Marketplace.

Shalini Kapoor, Director and Chief Technologist at AWS India Private Limited, highlighted the importance of leveraging cloud computing and open-source solutions to accelerate public service transformation. Shankar Maruwada, Co-founder and CEO of EkStep Foundation, emphasized the collaborative effort required to build and implement digital solutions at scale, expressing excitement about the partnership with AWS to drive inclusive innovation in India’s Digital Public Infrastructure.

The establishment of the JIC signifies a significant step towards fostering innovation and driving scalable impact in India. Examples of open-source digital solutions like MOSIP and Namma Yatri demonstrate the potential for leveraging technology to benefit citizens at scale, further underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts in advancing India’s digital landscape.