Digital India

DPI Brief — March 10, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication No major updates reported in the last 24 hours. L2: Payments & Financial Rails UPI International Expansion Continues: Sri Lanka’s Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts has rolled out UPI payments across its portfolio in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, catering to Indian travelers who increasingly prefer digital payments. India is the biggest source market for Sri Lankan tourism, and the move aligns with Indian travelers’ “digital-first” expectations.1 ...

AgriStack — Agricultural Data Infrastructure: Complete 101 Guide Last updated: March 2026 What is AgriStack? AgriStack is India’s digital infrastructure for agriculture - a collection of databases, APIs, and platforms to digitize agricultural services and enable data-driven farming. Objectives Farmer identity verification Land record digitization Crop insurance access Credit facilitation Market connectivity Key Components 1. Farmer ID Aadhaar-linked farmer registry Unique Farmer ID Land records integration Subsidy distribution 2. Geo-referenced Land Records Digital land ownership GPS-tagged plots Survey integration Dispute resolution 3. Crop Sowing Data Crop monitoring Yield estimation Insurance claims MSP calculation How AgriStack Works Service Delivery 1 Farmer → Aadhaar Auth → Land Records → Service (Loan/Insurance/Input) Key Stakeholders Stakeholder Role Ministry of Agriculture Policy State Governments Implementation FPOs Farmer organization AgriTech Companies Service delivery Use Cases Financial Services Service Data Used Crop Loans Land records, credit history Insurance Crop data, weather Government Schemes Identity, land Advisory Services Weather-based advisories Pest management Input recommendations Market price information Privacy Concerns Risks Land record data exposure Farmer profiling Data Monetization Corporate access to farm data Safeguards Consent requirements Data localization Limited retention Farmer consent for research Consumer Rights Right to control data sharing Transparent data usage Grievance mechanism Opt-out option

DPI Brief — March 9, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication UIDAI Aadhaar Seeding Deadline: March 9, 2026 Deadline for mandatory Aadhaar seeding with ration cards passes today DBT savings cross ₹3.5 lakh crore since inception through targeted delivery Aadhaar authentication volumes remain at 100+ crore monthly Source: UIDAI Dashboard L2: Payments & Financial Rails NPCI Seeks Digital KYC for Foreign UPI Users NPCI approaching RBI for fully digital KYC for UPI One World Pilot completed for 40 countries during India AI Impact Summit 2026 Will eliminate cumbersome paperwork for foreign visitors India-UAE CBDC Link Exploration ...

MeitY — Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology What is MeitY? MeitY (Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology) is the central government ministry driving India’s digital transformation. Established in 2014 (from DeitY), it oversees the ₹1 lakh crore Digital India programme and all things tech in government. Key Responsibilities Policy & Regulation IT Laws: Information Technology Act, 2000 Software Policies: Electronics manufacturing, semiconductors Data Governance: DPDP Act implementation Cybersecurity: National CERT-In direction Digital India Programme BHIM: UPI app development DigiLocker: Document storage platform e-Governance: Government service digitization Startup India: Tech ecosystem support Major Initiatives Digital Infrastructure UMANG: Unified mobile app for government services API Setu: Open API platform GeM: Government e-Marketplace DIAL: Digital India Application Layer Digital Services e-Hospital: Online hospital management DigiShaale: Digital schools e-Pathshala: Educational resources Jan Dhan: Financial inclusion Regulatory Bodies Under MeitY CERT-In Function: Cybersecurity incident response Powers: Directions for reporting, compliance Reports: Vulnerability disclosures MeitY Bodies STQC: Standardization, Testing & Quality Certification NIELIT: Technical education C-DAC: R&D in emerging technologies Policy Framework Recent Regulations (2024) Data Protection: DPDP Act implementation Intermediary Rules: Social media compliance AI Guidelines: R&D framework Semiconductor Mission: $10B incentive scheme IT Act 2000 (Amended) Digital Signatures: Legal recognition Cyber Crimes: Offenses and penalties Intermediate Liability: Platform responsibility Aadhaar: Legal framework for UIDAI Budget & Spending Digital India Allocation 2024-25: ₹1.2 lakh crore 2023-24: ₹95,000 crore 2022-23: ₹78,000 crore Key Sectors Rural Broadband: BharatNet (₹60,000 crore) Skill Development: ₹3,000 crore Startups: ₹5,000 crore corpus Semiconductors: $10B over 6 years Impact on Citizens Services Access UMANG: 1700+ services DigiLocker: 6 billion+ documents BHAM: Healthcare integration Employment IT Exports: $200+ billion (2024) Direct Jobs: 5 million+ Startup Ecosystem: 100+ unicorns Grievance Redressal For Digital Services Digital India Portal: grievances digitalindia.gov.in CPGRAMS: For all government services MeitY Helpline: For technical issues For Data Protection DPDP Board: Data privacy complaints CERT-In: Cybercrime reporting Key Officials & Structure Leadership Cabinet Minister: Ministry of Electronics & IT Minister of State: Additional charge Secretary: Administrative head Departments DeitY: Electronics manufacturing MeITY: IT and services STQC: Quality certification Prime References MeitY Official - Main portal Digital India - Programme details UMANG - Mobile services DigiLocker - Document service This 101 guide is part of DPIWatch’s citizen education initiative. Last updated: March 2026. ...