Dear Reader,

India, and the world, are at the cusp of a paradigm shift in the way digital solutions are being deployed for large-scale societal impact. Technology interventions can today enable public service delivery at an unprecedented scale, while opening up new opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators. But to be able to unleash the true potential of technology, digital platforms must be designed keeping both governance and community at the heart of all innovation. This people-driven lens is key to the Open Digital Ecosystems (ODE) approach that we have adopted at Omidyar Network India (ONI). We define ODEs as “open and secure digital platforms that enable a community of actors to unlock transformative solutions for society, based on a robust governance framework.”

Chances are, if you’re visiting this blog, you may be involved in building ODEs – as a bureaucrat or technocrat working within the government or as an advisor. You might be a researcher at a tech policy think tank or a university, you might be an open source developer or designer. Or you might be a concerned citizen, eager to understand and engage with the technological revolution that is transforming the way we interact with each other and with businesses and government entities around us. We hope that these blog posts will help you stay informed and up to date with the latest happenings in the world of ODEs, so that we can together build a more connected and collaborative community.