The India Stack refers to the project of creating a unified software platform to bring India's population into the digital age. Its website describes its mission as follows: "India Stack is a set of open APIs that allows governments, businesses, startups and developers to utilize a unique digital Infrastructure to solve India’s hard problems towards presence-less, paperless, and cashless service delivery".
India Stack is the largest open API in the world & is being implemented in stages. Observers have argued that India Stack could fast-track the move to digital payment systems across the developed world and mark the end of cash. However, various challenges related to user rights have been mounted: in August 2017, the Supreme Court of India unanimously ruled in favour of a petition applying for privacy to be declared a fundamental right.
Reputed consultancy firm Ernst & Young has said that India Stack has become the global benchmark for most countries.
India Stack has enabled India to achieve financial inclusion for 80% of population in 6 years as compared to projected figure of 46 years.
International Monetary Fund endorsed this initiative by noting that: "Other emerging market and developing economies could learn from the experience."
