DPI Deep Dive — Friday | March 13, 2026

Focus Layer: L5 Sectoral Infrastructure (ABHA, AgriStack, eCourts)
Coverage Period: March 6-13, 2026

Executive Summary

This week’s L5 Sectoral Infrastructure developments showcase India’s continued push toward digitizing critical sectors—healthcare, agriculture, and judiciary. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) crossed a significant milestone with over 43.52 crore AyushmanCards created, while AgriStack expanded its farmer ID ecosystem to 7.63 crore registrations. The eCourts project achieved unprecedented digitization with over 660 crore pages now available digitally, alongside AI integration entering judicial workflows. These developments underscore how sector-specific DPI layers are maturing rapidly, creating substantial cross-layer synergies with identity (L1), payments (L2), and document exchange (L3) infrastructure.

Key Developments

1. ABHA Ecosystem Surpasses 43 Crore Mark as Digital Health Records Gain Momentum

The Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ecosystem has reached a significant milestone, with over 43.52 crore AyushmanCards created under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) as of February 28, 2026. ¹ The National Health Authority (NHA) has been aggressively promoting ABHA adoption, emphasizing its role as a unique 14-digit digital health ID that enables citizens to securely store, access, and share health records across healthcare providers.

The ABHA platform’s “Scan and Share” feature has seen increased adoption, particularly in Union Territory Ladakh where healthcare facilities are leveraging the functionality to reduce registration queues and improve patient convenience. ² This development demonstrates how ABHA is moving beyond mere enrollment numbers toward practical utility in healthcare delivery.

The integration of digital health records with ABHA continues to strengthen across states, with Bihar launching targeted campaigns to accelerate ABHA creation. ³ The health ID serves as the foundational layer for India’s unified digital health ecosystem, enabling interoperability between hospitals, clinics, diagnostic labs, and insurance providers.

Analysis: The convergence of ABHA with the broader ABDM framework represents a maturing health DPI. The challenge ahead lies not in enrollment—which has already achieved massive scale—but in ensuring meaningful adoption by healthcare providers and patients. Cross-layer integration with L1 (Aadhaar-based eKYC) and L3 (DigiLocker for health records) will be critical for realizing the full potential of digital health infrastructure.

2. AgriStack Farmer IDs Reach 7.63 Crore as AI Integration Accelerates

India’s AgriStack initiative has issued over 7.63 crore unique Farmer IDs as of March 2026, marking substantial progress in creating a comprehensive digital registry of agricultural producers. ⁴ This digital public infrastructure enables farmers to access scheme benefits, credit, insurance, and market linkages through a single verified identity.

The integration of artificial intelligence with AgriStack has accelerated, with AI-powered tools now supporting monsoon forecasting, pest detection, and automated insurance claim processing. ⁴ The Bharat VISTAAR initiative complements these efforts by providing customized guidance to farmers facing climate variability and unpredictable weather patterns. ⁵

The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated Rs 1,62,671 crore for agriculture, a 7% increase from the previous year, with explicit focus on technology-led farming and high-value agriculture. ⁶ Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of quality, branding, and standards for Indian agricultural products during a post-budget webinar on agriculture and rural transformation. ⁷

Analysis: AgriStack represents one of the most ambitious sector-specific DPI implementations globally. The farmer ID system, when fully operational, will enable targeted delivery of agricultural subsidies, credit, and insurance—addressing longstanding issues of inclusion and leakages. The integration with climate-resilient AI tools positions agriculture as a potential model for India’s emerging “ClimateStack” concept. ⁸ Cross-layer connections with L2 (Direct Benefit Transfers via DBT) and L4 (ONDC for agricultural market access) are already emerging.

3. eCourts Phase III Achieves 660 Crore Page Digitization Milestone

The eCourts Mission Mode Project has digitized over 660.36 crore pages of court records across India, establishing a comprehensive digital repository of judicial history. ⁹ This Phase III achievement represents a fundamental transformation in how citizens access justice, with 2,444 eSewa Kendras now operational to assist with court-related services. ¹⁰

Video conferencing for hearings has become mainstream, with over 3.97 crore hearings conducted virtually, dramatically reducing physical appearance requirements for litigants. ⁹ The e-Filing platform has processed approximately 1.07 crore case filings electronically, streamlining the litigation process and reducing bureaucratic friction.

The Case Information System (CIS) 4.0 has been deployed to enhance case management capabilities, with AI-based tools now being integrated into judicial workflows for transcription and analytics. ⁹ Calcutta High Court has demonstrated particularly strong digital adoption, processing over 3.6 lakh cases through online hearing mechanisms. ¹¹

Analysis: The eCourts transformation addresses India’s massive judicial backlog of over 4.4 crore pending cases. The digitization of historical records—equivalent to approximately 660 million pages—enables instant access to case histories, reducing delays and improving transparency. The integration of AI for transcription represents a significant step toward technology-assisted justice delivery. Cross-layer synergies with L1 (identity verification for litigants), L3 (digital document exchange), and L6 (CPGRAMS for grievance redressal) are inherent to the judicial process.

4. Climate Resilience Integration Positions Agriculture for DPI Leadership

The recognition of agriculture as a strategic entry point for India’s proposed “ClimateStack” highlights the sector’s evolving DPI role. ⁸ With high emissions, significant climate vulnerability, and strong existing infrastructure through AgriStack, agricultural digital public goods are positioned to lead integration efforts across sectors.

The International Year of the Woman Farmer (2026) adds a gender inclusion dimension to AgriStack’s expansion, with targeted initiatives to ensure women farmers benefit from digital agricultural services. Punjab’s budget allocation of Rs 15,377 crore for agriculture and allied sectors includes provisions for technology adoption and sustainability measures. ¹²

Analysis: The convergence of climate resilience, financial inclusion, and digital identity creates unprecedented opportunities for cross-sectoral DPI integration. AgriStack’s farmer IDs can potentially link with credit bureaus, insurance providers, and markets, creating a comprehensive digital agricultural ecosystem.

Cross-Layer Connections

The L5 Sectoral Infrastructure demonstrates extensive interoperability with other DPI layers:

• L1 (Identity & Authentication): ABHA and Farmer IDs leverage Aadhaar-based eKYC for verification, while eCourts uses Aadhaar for litigant identification
• L2 (Payments): AgriStack enables Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) for subsidies; ABHA integrates with insurance claim settlements via UPI/NPCI rails
• L3 (Documents): Digital health records stored in DigiLocker; court judgments accessible via eSign and document exchange
• L4 (Commerce): AgriStack-ONDC integration enables direct farmer-to-consumer market access
• L6 (Governance): eCourts feeds into CPGRAMS for justice-related grievances

Sources