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DPI Brief — April 29, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication India’s First Fully Digital Census Launches with Self-Enumeration Portal Census 2027 kicked off in Telangana on April 26 with India’s first-ever self-enumeration option, allowing citizens to submit household data online until May 10. Punjab follows on April 30. The portal supports 16 regional languages and enables citizens to respond to 27 of 33 census questions digitally. A unique 11-digit Self Enumeration ID (SE ID) is generated upon submission. The exercise marks a significant shift from paper-based enumeration toward digital-first data collection. 1 ...

DPI Deep Dive — Tuesday | April 28, 2026 Focus Layer: L2 Payments & Financial Rails (NPCI, UPI, RuPay) Coverage Period: April 21-28, 2026 Executive Summary This week’s L2 Payments layer sees continued growth in UPI transaction volumes while WhatsApp attempts to carve out a niche with prepaid mobile recharges. International expansion via UPI One World gains traction, and AI-powered fraud emerges as a critical challenge for India’s digital payments ecosystem. The core dynamic remains unchanged: PhonePe and Google Pay dominate, while smaller players struggle to gain meaningful share despite the Indian market’s massive scale. ...

DPI Brief — April 28, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication Aadhaar App Pre-Installation on Smartphones Rejected India’s IT Ministry has declined UIDAI’s proposal to mandate pre-installation of the Aadhaar app on smartphones, marking the sixth such government request in two years. Concerns cited include device security, compatibility issues, and higher production costs for manufacturers who would need separate manufacturing lines for India and export markets. The decision preserves the current voluntary approach to Aadhaar integration. ...

DPI Deep Dive — Thursday | April 23, 2026 Focus Layer: L4 Commerce & Logistics (ONDC, GeM) Coverage Period: April 16–23, 2026 Executive Summary This week’s Commerce & Logistics layer sees two major developments: Government e-Marketplace (GeM) crossed a cumulative GMV of Rs 18.4 lakh crore, with over Rs 5 lakh crore added in FY26 alone, demonstrating its growing centrality to government procurement. Meanwhile, ONDC continues its rapid expansion in quick commerce, with q-commerce emerging as a key growth driver for the open network model. Research indicates that India’s D2C sector is increasingly powered by Tier II and III cities, contributing 66% of new orders in FY26, highlighting the democratizing effect of digital commerce infrastructure beyond metro areas. ...

DPI Deep Dive — Wednesday | April 22, 2026 Focus Layer: L3 Documents & Data Exchange (DigiLocker, API Setu, eSign) Coverage Period: April 15-22, 2026 Executive Summary This week’s L3 Deep Dive covers significant developments in India’s document and data exchange infrastructure. CBSE Board results for 2026 were made available through DigiLocker, enabling instant digital access for over 9 lakh students. MeitY has intensified its push for API Setu adoption across government departments, with 732 APIs now published by 78 agencies. Kerala launched Phase II of its Certificateless Governance Programme, expanding DigiLocker integration across 16 departments. Assam achieved a national milestone with 100% integration of state eServices on DigiLocker via Sewa Setu. The week also saw India’s DPI go global with formal MoUs signed including DigiLocker cooperation with Cuba, Kenya, UAE, and Lao PDR. ...

DPI Brief — April 22, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication IT Ministry rules out mandatory Aadhaar app pre-installation on smartphones In a significant policy reversal, India’s Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has rejected UIDAI’s proposal to mandate pre-installation of the Aadhaar authentication app on smartphones. UIDAI had in January 2026 asked MeitY to engage with Apple, Samsung, Google, and other manufacturers on making the Aadhaar app a mandatory preload. This was the sixth such government push in two years. Citing device security concerns, compatibility issues, and higher production costs (manufacturers would have needed separate production lines for India and export markets), MeitY declined. The decision comes amid ongoing global scrutiny of mandatory ID app requirements on personal devices. Reuters | Developing Telecoms ...

DPI Deep Dive — Tuesday | April 21, 2026 Focus Layer: L2 Payments & Financial Rails (NPCI, UPI, RuPay) Coverage Period: April 14-21, 2026 Executive Summary This week’s L2 Payments & Financial Rails layer reveals India’s digital payments ecosystem continuing its unprecedented growth trajectory, with the IMF explicitly recognizing UPI as a global model for interoperability. The week also saw significant inclusivity developments, with Bank of Baroda partnering with Jio to bring banking to feature phone users—a critical gap in India’s digital financial inclusion. Meanwhile, the integration of RuPay credit cards with UPI marks a pivotal convergence of two payment ecosystems, potentially reshaping consumer credit access for millions. ...

DPI Deep Dive — Monday | April 20, 2026 Focus Layer: L1 Identity & Authentication (UIDAI, Aadhaar, eKYC) Coverage Period: April 13-20, 2026 Executive Summary India’s flagship identity infrastructure faced a significant policy setback this week as the government formally abandoned plans to mandate Aadhaar app pre-installation on smartphones, capitulating to pressure from Apple, Samsung, and Google. Meanwhile, UIDAI continues expanding biometric authentication options with face recognition, while Census 2027 self-enumeration kicks off in six states—creating new intersections between Aadhaar and national demographic data collection. This week’s developments highlight the tension between universal digital identity access and device ecosystem sovereignty—a debate that is far from settled. ...

DPI Brief — April 20, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication Aadhaar Pre-Installation Mandate Dropped After Industry Pushback In a significant policy reversal, the Indian government has decided not to mandate pre-installation of the Aadhaar authentication app on smartphones. UIDAI had proposed in January 2026 that Apple, Samsung, Google, and other major smartphone manufacturers pre-install the Aadhaar app on devices sold in India. Following pushback from the smartphone industry, MeitY reviewed the proposal and UIDAI stated it is “not in favour of mandating the pre-installation of the Aadhaar App on smartphones.” The move signals continued tension between identity verification ambitions and device ecosystem concerns. 1 ...

DPI Weekly Deep Dive — UPI Record & New Rules | Week of April 13-19, 2026 Executive Summary India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) achieved an unprecedented milestone in March 2026, processing 22.64 billion transactions valued at ₹29.53 lakh crore—the highest monthly volume and value in the system’s decade-long history. This landmark achievement, representing 24% year-on-year growth in volume and 19% in value, underscores UPI’s position as the backbone of India’s digital payments ecosystem and the world’s largest real-time payment platform. 1 2 ...