Amazon Web Services (AWS) India, on Tuesday, March 26, announced that it has partnered with EkStep Foundation, a non-profit organisation, to establish a joint innovation centre (JIC). The primary objective of this collaboration, according to the company, is to foster the development of innovative digital solutions for public service delivery, catering to both the public and commercial sectors.
“This joint effort will focus on enabling and accelerating the creation of digital public goods (DPGs) and digital public infrastructures (DPIs). It aims to support both public sector and commercial institutions in building and harnessing digital solutions for population-scale use while helping governments build socially and digitally inclusive economies,” AWS stated in a press release.
The JIC is said to serve as a platform to bring together key stakeholders — including developers, enablers, and implementers — committed to driving digital cooperation. By focusing on sectors such as education, agriculture, finance, healthcare, and climate change, the JIC aims to accelerate societal transformation through collaboration.
Startups, independent software vendors (ISVs), and system integrators (SIs) will receive support from the JIC to leverage technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and analytics provided by AWS, the company said. The initiative is also expected to facilitate the creation of new use cases for DPGs and DPIs while enhancing existing ones.
AWS added that to ensure ease of adoption, DPGs and DPIs developed through the JIC will be made available for one-click deployment via the AWS Partner Network (APN), benefiting from its extensive global reach. Additionally, AWS will explore featuring these solutions on platforms such as AWS Marketplace and the Open Government Solutions Catalog, further amplifying their visibility and accessibility.
Shalini Kapoor, Director and Chief Technologist at AWS India Private Limited, highlighted the potential of DPIs to revolutionise public service delivery. “Building newer DPGs and DPIs requires collective focus from stakeholders on solving problems of scale, and we are pleased to have EkStep’s visionary thinking and commitment in this initiative. The two organisations share a belief that technology should cut across barriers and enable the creation of a more equitable and inclusive society.”
EkStep Foundation, spearheaded by Nandan Nilekani, Rohini Nilekani, and Shankar Maruwada, shares a similar vision of leveraging technology for societal benefit. Shankar Maruwada, Co-founder and CEO of EkStep Foundation, underscored the importance of collaborative innovation in addressing national challenges and driving positive change.
