When Sanjay Jain, director of digital public infrastructure, or DPI, at the Gates Foundation, took the stage at the Global DPI summit in Cape Town, South Africa, earlier this month, he described the foundation’s goal as helping the world move “from a time of digital aid to digital empowerment.”
He was quoting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has worked to position India’s own DPI journey as a model for other low- and middle-income countries.
DPI refers to the foundational data systems — such as digital identity, data sharing, and digital payments — that allow people, governments, and businesses to verify identity, transact, and access services ranging from healthcare to banking. Building that infrastructure is seen as increasingly vital for African nations, and DPI is rising up the list of priorities for many development organizations.
About the author
Catherine Cheneycatherinecheney
Catherine Cheney is the Senior Editor for Special Coverage at Devex. She leads the editorial vision of Devex’s news events and editorial coverage of key moments on the global development calendar. Catherine joined Devex as a reporter, focusing on technology and innovation in making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, and worked as a web producer for POLITICO, a reporter for World Politics Review, and special projects editor at NationSwell. She has reported domestically and internationally for outlets including The Atlantic and the Washington Post. Catherine also works for the Solutions Journalism Network, a non profit organization that supports journalists and news organizations to report on responses to problems.
