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Rebooting India
India is sitting on a demographic dividend, expected to become the world’s youngest country by 2020, with 64 per cent of its population, roughly 800 million people, of working age. But our country cannot become a global powerhouse unless we resolve the contradictions and bridge the gaps that distort our society. According to Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah, the only way to do this is by using technology to radically reimagine government itself.
Rebooting India identifies a dozen initiatives where a series of citizen-friendly, high-tech public institutions can deliver low-cost solutions to India’s grand challenges. Based on the learnings from building Aadhaar, the proposed initiatives would save the government a minimum of Rs 1,00,000 crore annually, about 1 per cent of India’s GDP. These visionary, cutting-edge ideas, the authors hope, will enable each one of India’s 1.2 billion citizens to realize their aspirations.
Rebooting India identifies a dozen initiatives where a series of citizen-friendly, high-tech public institutions can deliver low-cost solutions to India’s grand challenges. Based on the learnings from building Aadhaar, the proposed initiatives would save the government a minimum of Rs 1,00,000 crore annually, about 1 per cent of India’s GDP. These visionary, cutting-edge ideas, the authors hope, will enable each one of India’s 1.2 billion citizens to realize their aspirations.
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2015
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1080 people want to read
About the author
Nandan Nilekani
12 books74 followersNandan Nilekani is an Indian entrepreneur, bureaucrat, and politician. He co-founded the IT services company Infosys in Bangalore, India.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
September 25, 2016
This book should have been called "Hold my Beer while I fix this country".
Nandan proposed some great technology based ideas to fix a bunch of stuff that's broken in India in his last book Imagining India (2009). He then quit Infosys to go build on those ideas and convert them from dreams to reality. Today we have Aadhar, UPI, GSTN(coming coon), electronic toll collection and bunch of other stuff which is in the works.
This book is a compilation of these technology based solutions to India's problems. Besides these initiatives that have already been rolled out, the authors also propose some new technology based ideas to reform elections, energy, health , education and more in India.
I loved the matter-of-factly way in which these solutions were discussed and deliberated. The story of how Aadhar was built and grown to be the world's fastest digital platform to reach a billion users, that too within the framework of the government, is pure inspiration. You get an amazing feeling while reading the book when you realize that these aren't just theoretical suggestions - they actually have/are been implemented and are going to change India forever in the next 5-10 years. This book leaves you with a lot of hope for India and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in solving large audacious Indian problems with Technology.
Nandan proposed some great technology based ideas to fix a bunch of stuff that's broken in India in his last book Imagining India (2009). He then quit Infosys to go build on those ideas and convert them from dreams to reality. Today we have Aadhar, UPI, GSTN(coming coon), electronic toll collection and bunch of other stuff which is in the works.
This book is a compilation of these technology based solutions to India's problems. Besides these initiatives that have already been rolled out, the authors also propose some new technology based ideas to reform elections, energy, health , education and more in India.
I loved the matter-of-factly way in which these solutions were discussed and deliberated. The story of how Aadhar was built and grown to be the world's fastest digital platform to reach a billion users, that too within the framework of the government, is pure inspiration. You get an amazing feeling while reading the book when you realize that these aren't just theoretical suggestions - they actually have/are been implemented and are going to change India forever in the next 5-10 years. This book leaves you with a lot of hope for India and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in solving large audacious Indian problems with Technology.
July 4, 2021
The book beautifully presents solutions to the 12 grand problems which India faces (in 2015 when the book was printed).
The solutions were mostly based on the central idea that as Aadhar, UPI are successful, a similar model can be tried for different sector as well.
I personally like the idea of the key suggestions with the infographics.
The solutions were mostly based on the central idea that as Aadhar, UPI are successful, a similar model can be tried for different sector as well.
I personally like the idea of the key suggestions with the infographics.
April 4, 2018
With Aadhaar Card gaining ubiquity and its fair amount of acceptance as well as criticism, there can be no better time to read "Rebooting India: Realizing a Billion Aspirations".
I particularly enjoyed reading how Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah explain to us their grand idea of instituting a special start up team to address 10 grand challenges. Moreover, the experience episodes on the stumbling blocks their team needed to encounter on the way to realizing the billion aspirations of India has been very crisply explained so much so that the reader will travel with them throughout the process.
As much as the book focuses on the USP of Aadhaar and its benefits, I feel it should also have given some room for its flip side and discuss the cons that have been raised against it till date. Though there are passages in this book which brief about the resistance propped up, both constructive and destructive, they do not discuss in enough detail for me. The least the authors could have considered is they could have given one case study example like the LPG subsidy instance to state how Aadhaar is susceptible to certain drawbacks with regards to certain privacy concerns. It might be unfair to portray the card as an impenetrable system and as a panacea for the malaise plaguing India in terms of voting system, subsidies net, infrastructure development, education expenditure etc to name a few.
Uniquely narrated, Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah share the experiences of their team in bringing Aadhaar to fruition right from the time the seeds were sown for this project. The writing style is very down-to-earth and wastes no word. The point is made clear at every required chapter with a clear objective in mind. Strangely, the authors become third persons at times in the passage which I can describe as quirky amusement. Special praise goes for introducing almost every chapter of the book with a very pertinent and meticulously thought-of anecdote. On the same note, the mind-mapping done at regular intervals to condense the crucial information is an excellent form of visual aid. More reasons to buy a paper back version of this book and store in your book-shelf.
In one line, this book is a must read for all Indians to understand the vision of Nandan Nilekani for future India using the route of Aadhaar while simultaneously gaining inspiration from the experience of Nandan Nilekan, Viral Shah and the entire unit that toiled for Aadhaar with specifics.
I particularly enjoyed reading how Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah explain to us their grand idea of instituting a special start up team to address 10 grand challenges. Moreover, the experience episodes on the stumbling blocks their team needed to encounter on the way to realizing the billion aspirations of India has been very crisply explained so much so that the reader will travel with them throughout the process.
As much as the book focuses on the USP of Aadhaar and its benefits, I feel it should also have given some room for its flip side and discuss the cons that have been raised against it till date. Though there are passages in this book which brief about the resistance propped up, both constructive and destructive, they do not discuss in enough detail for me. The least the authors could have considered is they could have given one case study example like the LPG subsidy instance to state how Aadhaar is susceptible to certain drawbacks with regards to certain privacy concerns. It might be unfair to portray the card as an impenetrable system and as a panacea for the malaise plaguing India in terms of voting system, subsidies net, infrastructure development, education expenditure etc to name a few.
Uniquely narrated, Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah share the experiences of their team in bringing Aadhaar to fruition right from the time the seeds were sown for this project. The writing style is very down-to-earth and wastes no word. The point is made clear at every required chapter with a clear objective in mind. Strangely, the authors become third persons at times in the passage which I can describe as quirky amusement. Special praise goes for introducing almost every chapter of the book with a very pertinent and meticulously thought-of anecdote. On the same note, the mind-mapping done at regular intervals to condense the crucial information is an excellent form of visual aid. More reasons to buy a paper back version of this book and store in your book-shelf.
In one line, this book is a must read for all Indians to understand the vision of Nandan Nilekani for future India using the route of Aadhaar while simultaneously gaining inspiration from the experience of Nandan Nilekan, Viral Shah and the entire unit that toiled for Aadhaar with specifics.
October 31, 2016
Definitely recommend this to anyone who's ever had an idea to make India function better by streamlining processes using technology.
Given how inaccessible the government is when it comes to sharing details about their schemes and programs, this book is a welcome source of information about how technology has been used over the last few years and what lies ahead. While coming up with innovative ideas is one thing, getting them implemented by working with the government is a different beast altogether. And Nandan Nilekani is probably one of the best persons to share that since he has been actively involved in working with the government for most of their major tech renovations. While with 'Imagining India', he laid out a theoretical blueprint of going about solving issues plaguing India, it seems that over the last eight years, he has been able to gauge the feasibility of those solutions and the best practices involved in bringing a dream solution to reality.
The book has detailed accounts of the projects and sectors Mr.Nilekani and his team has already worked on (UID/Aadhaar being the largest when it comes to scale), shedding light on different stages of planning & execution of an idea, bureaucratic & logistic hurdles faced by them, and information about the stakeholders involved. For the sectors they haven't worked in yet, the authors have laid out feasible plans of execution and apprised the readers of where the projects are in the government pipeline. Neat illustrations, provided by Aparna Ranjan, complement the text by summarizing key ideas and are helpful in getting ideas across.
Given how inaccessible the government is when it comes to sharing details about their schemes and programs, this book is a welcome source of information about how technology has been used over the last few years and what lies ahead. While coming up with innovative ideas is one thing, getting them implemented by working with the government is a different beast altogether. And Nandan Nilekani is probably one of the best persons to share that since he has been actively involved in working with the government for most of their major tech renovations. While with 'Imagining India', he laid out a theoretical blueprint of going about solving issues plaguing India, it seems that over the last eight years, he has been able to gauge the feasibility of those solutions and the best practices involved in bringing a dream solution to reality.
The book has detailed accounts of the projects and sectors Mr.Nilekani and his team has already worked on (UID/Aadhaar being the largest when it comes to scale), shedding light on different stages of planning & execution of an idea, bureaucratic & logistic hurdles faced by them, and information about the stakeholders involved. For the sectors they haven't worked in yet, the authors have laid out feasible plans of execution and apprised the readers of where the projects are in the government pipeline. Neat illustrations, provided by Aparna Ranjan, complement the text by summarizing key ideas and are helpful in getting ideas across.
July 10, 2021
Nandan Nilekani has been behind Aadhar - the game-changer in subsidy delivery by Indian Govt. While I have read a book on Aadhar, it was good to read a bit from the man himself.
Kudos and thank you for Aadhar.
Most of the book proposes to build upon Aadhar and some other technologies to make governance better. Some ideas seem good but sometimes they also felt shallow. Also, sometimes it felt as though the authors just wanted to show-off. However the focus on Aadhar/technology made it worth reading.
PS:- Re-booting India - Kicking India in the nuts again ? Looking at how Infosys botched up the GST portal, I am a little wary of Nilekani’s grandiose ideas. To borrow a line from the book, do one thing but do it really well. Dont preach and dont overdo.
Kudos and thank you for Aadhar.
Most of the book proposes to build upon Aadhar and some other technologies to make governance better. Some ideas seem good but sometimes they also felt shallow. Also, sometimes it felt as though the authors just wanted to show-off. However the focus on Aadhar/technology made it worth reading.
PS:- Re-booting India - Kicking India in the nuts again ? Looking at how Infosys botched up the GST portal, I am a little wary of Nilekani’s grandiose ideas. To borrow a line from the book, do one thing but do it really well. Dont preach and dont overdo.
December 15, 2016
Many experts have argued that technological advancement can pave the way for a developed India. We are sitting on a demographic dividend, expected to become the world’s youngest country by 2020 with 64 per cent of its population, roughly 800 million people, of working age. But our country cannot become a global powerhouse unless we resolve the contradictions and bridge the gaps that distort our society. Fancy this: “What if a million banking correspondents equipped with smart phones and biometric readers could deliver banking services to 1.2 billion Indians? What if every citizen could use mobile banking and use cashless payments? Moving beyond the financial sector, can we use technology to solve some of India’s most pressing problems to improve standards in healthcare and education, to cut wastage in government spending and increase revenue, to make tax collection citizen-friendly, to streamline our courts and to eliminate corruption?” These are the questions that form the core of the just released non-fiction title by Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah, Rebooting India: Realizing a Billion Aspirations.
It is also interesting to note that in every chapter of the book, the authors have put forward some “big ideas” that can radically redesign existing systems and in the process, according to the authors, save the government an estimated Rs 1 trillion annually. “Conservative back-of-the envelope calculations find those savings to be equivalent to 1 per cent of our GDP enough for two Golden Quadrilateral road systems across the country every year or to send 200 Mangalyan missions to Mars annually. One year’s savings are also sufficient to provide minimal health insurance for every family in the country for three years,” they argue. But can these ideas really work?
The authors, Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah are reputed experts at hand and these suggestions, therefore, hold much ground. Nilekani is co-founder and former CEO of Infosys Technologies and was founding chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (Aadhaar). He was twice listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time. In 2014, he was awarded The Economist’s Innovation Award in the category Economic and Social Innovation. Viral Shah, on the other hand, worked at the intersection of policy and technology at the Unique Identification Authority of India, where he led the design of the government's payments and subsidy platforms using Aadhaar. He is a co-inventor of the Julia programming language, and co-founder of FourthLion Technologies. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Technology, as is evident, has been the forte of the two and their “big ideas” that can radically redesign existing systems are all based on technology. The only way to achieve what the authors propose, in their own words, “is by using technology to radically reimagine government itself”. Based on their learnings from building Aadhaar, the world’s largest social identity programme, the authors in this book published by Penguin Books India identify a dozen initiatives, where a series of citizen-friendly, high-tech public institutions can deliver low-cost solutions to India’s grand challenges.
The offering has been penned in simple language and is, therefore, captivating some of the brilliant ideas proposed in the book often compel the reader to pause and imagine what if it were as the authors propose! Broadly speaking, the book is about the ways in which technology can be employed to transform our government and create a series of new, citizen-friendly public institutions. The first part of the book focuses on the idea of Aadhaar as a platform upon which to build a new class of services. These include an electronic payments network, a redesigned social security system and the electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) service. Nilekani and Shah then go on to examine the idea of technology as a tool for institution-building. From railway stations to the pending cases in the courts to the manner in which our elections are conducted, the authors look at diverse subjects and after perhaps a tremendous amount of research, imagine how technology can be put to use to make these processes simpler and citizen-friendly.
The authors argue that India cannot become a global powerhouse unless we resolve the contradictions and bridge the gaps that are distorting our society. “We need technology-fuelled structural reforms in our government, business and our society at large.”
First published in Beyond Books, The Statesman
http://www.inkstreet.in/2015/11/fundi...
It is also interesting to note that in every chapter of the book, the authors have put forward some “big ideas” that can radically redesign existing systems and in the process, according to the authors, save the government an estimated Rs 1 trillion annually. “Conservative back-of-the envelope calculations find those savings to be equivalent to 1 per cent of our GDP enough for two Golden Quadrilateral road systems across the country every year or to send 200 Mangalyan missions to Mars annually. One year’s savings are also sufficient to provide minimal health insurance for every family in the country for three years,” they argue. But can these ideas really work?
The authors, Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah are reputed experts at hand and these suggestions, therefore, hold much ground. Nilekani is co-founder and former CEO of Infosys Technologies and was founding chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (Aadhaar). He was twice listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time. In 2014, he was awarded The Economist’s Innovation Award in the category Economic and Social Innovation. Viral Shah, on the other hand, worked at the intersection of policy and technology at the Unique Identification Authority of India, where he led the design of the government's payments and subsidy platforms using Aadhaar. He is a co-inventor of the Julia programming language, and co-founder of FourthLion Technologies. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Technology, as is evident, has been the forte of the two and their “big ideas” that can radically redesign existing systems are all based on technology. The only way to achieve what the authors propose, in their own words, “is by using technology to radically reimagine government itself”. Based on their learnings from building Aadhaar, the world’s largest social identity programme, the authors in this book published by Penguin Books India identify a dozen initiatives, where a series of citizen-friendly, high-tech public institutions can deliver low-cost solutions to India’s grand challenges.
The offering has been penned in simple language and is, therefore, captivating some of the brilliant ideas proposed in the book often compel the reader to pause and imagine what if it were as the authors propose! Broadly speaking, the book is about the ways in which technology can be employed to transform our government and create a series of new, citizen-friendly public institutions. The first part of the book focuses on the idea of Aadhaar as a platform upon which to build a new class of services. These include an electronic payments network, a redesigned social security system and the electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) service. Nilekani and Shah then go on to examine the idea of technology as a tool for institution-building. From railway stations to the pending cases in the courts to the manner in which our elections are conducted, the authors look at diverse subjects and after perhaps a tremendous amount of research, imagine how technology can be put to use to make these processes simpler and citizen-friendly.
The authors argue that India cannot become a global powerhouse unless we resolve the contradictions and bridge the gaps that are distorting our society. “We need technology-fuelled structural reforms in our government, business and our society at large.”
First published in Beyond Books, The Statesman
http://www.inkstreet.in/2015/11/fundi...
October 30, 2018
A good book that presents a roadmap as to how technology can bring about a change across multiple systems such as political, education, judicial, medical, and among other things using technology as the primary tool.
April 30, 2019
For the size of the book, it covers a lot. If you have been out of India for a while - living outside, missed the growth in country, and the changes that are expected to get us on track to being a big successful thriving economy - i would recommend the book. I also enjoyed the idea of bureaucrats and successful private leaders coming together to correct the causes. the book recommends a 10 person A team to solve each problem in the country with support from the one and only PM.
Digitization can also help eradicate a lot of problems, and the book argues in its favor of course, written by Nandan and Viral! There in lies some of the problems i had with the book - i could never figure out who has written it as it jumps between authors somewhat non-fluidly for me. i do need to relate strongly even in a non-fiction, and recognize all you guys might not be. but this is the story of how Aadhar - the identity of a billion plus people came out. Anyway, i did feel tired reading it a bit too often - loved the content so kept going.
i will say that my husband flipped the page and said its old as it was refreshed in 2016 - i found it relevant. Go for it if you feel like an NRI that has missed a lot back home.
Digitization can also help eradicate a lot of problems, and the book argues in its favor of course, written by Nandan and Viral! There in lies some of the problems i had with the book - i could never figure out who has written it as it jumps between authors somewhat non-fluidly for me. i do need to relate strongly even in a non-fiction, and recognize all you guys might not be. but this is the story of how Aadhar - the identity of a billion plus people came out. Anyway, i did feel tired reading it a bit too often - loved the content so kept going.
i will say that my husband flipped the page and said its old as it was refreshed in 2016 - i found it relevant. Go for it if you feel like an NRI that has missed a lot back home.
January 4, 2016
If you reflect on all the good that has happened in India – you will realize that it is not politicians but it is mostly the bureaucrats and technocrats and public-minded citizens. The illustrious list is endless…from JJ Bhabha, Vishweshwarayya, Swaminathan, Kurien, Sam Pitroda, Sridharan….India was lucky to be blessed with such individuals of sterling qualities ( Selfless service being the most important of them all)…who laid the foundation for a modern India and helped us tackle the problematic issues of a newly independent country…..whether in the fields of science, engineering, food, milk or later day technocrats like Sridharan and Sam Pitroda who redefined urban mass transportation and telecom. You could add Nandan Nilekani to this celebrated list, for AADHAR.
I have a government issued ration card, a passport, a voter Id, a driving license, a PAN-card…..not to talk of multiple bank accounts, demat accounts….all of them are unique and standalone and bear no connection to each other…standing in solitary splendor and on an island….to make matters worse…some of these identities need to be renewed and voila……you get a fresh number which has no bearing and connection with the old one….. ….each of the above numbers is issued by a different department in the government and no id recognizes the other id as valid…. and I wondered…why on earth do we not have a single number to identify us…and pin some factual information to it which stays for good…like the Social Security Number (SSN) in the United States….and everything else is an add on to this unique number.
Wonder whose idea AADHAR was? Was it some of the saner people in the government or was it Mr Nilekani’s idea which he got the government interested in….in this DIGITAL age, the AADHAR infrastructure would rank as important as the Green Revolution or AMUL revolution.
REBOOTING INDIA is actually two books in one…one on the challenges of setting up AADHAR and second is a blue print for social and economic transformation (most of it at the bottom of the pyramid) using InformationTechnology.
Part 1 of the book is interesting. Of civic minded citizens who left high paying jobs in the US and Indian corporate sector and consumed by a mission to bring about social and economic transformation using technology (end result being each Indian having a unique identity). This is still work in progress and sooner than later, hopefully all the 150 Crore Indians (we will reach there soon!) will have an identity thru which they can lead their lives, transact business amongst themselves and with the government…and we also hope that someday..the multiple identities that we have will coalesce into one single number…and in a subsidy driven country like ours…the poor and the indigent….get what they have to get directly from the government without the leakages in the intermediation process.
I only hope that the AADHAR steam is not derailed by our super-activist judiciary which seems to be having a view (and a judgement) on all aspects of like, the vested interests who will lose if the leakages stop or the confused intelligentsia who rake up visions of government intrusion into everyday life/loss of privacy and such BS. So much about part 1 of the book. A bunch of spirited guys who do a great job do need bragging rights….and Nilekani and Shah present an interesting story.
It is part 2 of the book which makes for compelling reading. It reads like a more intelligent and practical version of Mihir Sharma’s RESTART. The technology solutions are simple. Using the digital infrastructure built for AADHAR - how do we deploy this into our daily lives...and into government institutions which will make most of these slow and lethargic organizations into customer friendly and responsive front-ends and also reduce leakages, increase tax collection, better aggregation of data and get a method into the madness…and make this vast and diverse country more manageable….where the size and scale would work to our advantage rather than be a hindrance for growth.
I only wish that the current Government uses the services of Mr. Nilekani to truly transform our bureaucracy…our institutions…and our government….He is still in his early sixties and possibly he can mentor a dozen more Nandans who in turn will build or repair a dozen vital institutions in the country and can carry the good work forward….this is what the country requires…
I have a government issued ration card, a passport, a voter Id, a driving license, a PAN-card…..not to talk of multiple bank accounts, demat accounts….all of them are unique and standalone and bear no connection to each other…standing in solitary splendor and on an island….to make matters worse…some of these identities need to be renewed and voila……you get a fresh number which has no bearing and connection with the old one….. ….each of the above numbers is issued by a different department in the government and no id recognizes the other id as valid…. and I wondered…why on earth do we not have a single number to identify us…and pin some factual information to it which stays for good…like the Social Security Number (SSN) in the United States….and everything else is an add on to this unique number.
Wonder whose idea AADHAR was? Was it some of the saner people in the government or was it Mr Nilekani’s idea which he got the government interested in….in this DIGITAL age, the AADHAR infrastructure would rank as important as the Green Revolution or AMUL revolution.
REBOOTING INDIA is actually two books in one…one on the challenges of setting up AADHAR and second is a blue print for social and economic transformation (most of it at the bottom of the pyramid) using InformationTechnology.
Part 1 of the book is interesting. Of civic minded citizens who left high paying jobs in the US and Indian corporate sector and consumed by a mission to bring about social and economic transformation using technology (end result being each Indian having a unique identity). This is still work in progress and sooner than later, hopefully all the 150 Crore Indians (we will reach there soon!) will have an identity thru which they can lead their lives, transact business amongst themselves and with the government…and we also hope that someday..the multiple identities that we have will coalesce into one single number…and in a subsidy driven country like ours…the poor and the indigent….get what they have to get directly from the government without the leakages in the intermediation process.
I only hope that the AADHAR steam is not derailed by our super-activist judiciary which seems to be having a view (and a judgement) on all aspects of like, the vested interests who will lose if the leakages stop or the confused intelligentsia who rake up visions of government intrusion into everyday life/loss of privacy and such BS. So much about part 1 of the book. A bunch of spirited guys who do a great job do need bragging rights….and Nilekani and Shah present an interesting story.
It is part 2 of the book which makes for compelling reading. It reads like a more intelligent and practical version of Mihir Sharma’s RESTART. The technology solutions are simple. Using the digital infrastructure built for AADHAR - how do we deploy this into our daily lives...and into government institutions which will make most of these slow and lethargic organizations into customer friendly and responsive front-ends and also reduce leakages, increase tax collection, better aggregation of data and get a method into the madness…and make this vast and diverse country more manageable….where the size and scale would work to our advantage rather than be a hindrance for growth.
I only wish that the current Government uses the services of Mr. Nilekani to truly transform our bureaucracy…our institutions…and our government….He is still in his early sixties and possibly he can mentor a dozen more Nandans who in turn will build or repair a dozen vital institutions in the country and can carry the good work forward….this is what the country requires…
March 1, 2016
brilliant book with lots of ideas. nandan is truly inspirational and he has shown his creditability via aadhar. if we can get 10 nandan in india then we can actually get the distant dreams mentioned in his book as ideas into reality. I am an optimistic and believe in such powerful thoughts. one has to think to be able to do. he has thought. someone can execute.
May 1, 2020
An easy read with so many interesting ideas how technology can tranform India. The authors, Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah, were colleagues in one of the world's most innovative and largest projects (Aadhar) that helped create unique identities for over a billion citizens of India with biometric records.
They describe in the book how Aadhar can be central to several utilities such as banking, government payments, subsidy distribution, and elections. They argue for a platform model of governance wherein most critical public goods such as education, healthcare, justice system, taxation, transportation, energy distribution can be delivered efficiently and leak proof.
The authors propose to build 12 such platforms with a start-up culture within government under a strong leadership. They borrow from their experience in UIDAI where they were able to pull off incredible innovations that led up to what we see today Aadhar is able to achieve and the immense potential it carries in unifying India in many ways.
Since this book was written in 2015 one can see their propositions/predictions already playing out, be it e-KYC, Aadhar based payments, direct benefit transfers, GST, e-Toll etc.
A great book overall. It provides not only a roadmap for Digital Transformation of India but hope for a bright future. Even more pertinent for post-Covid India I believe.
They describe in the book how Aadhar can be central to several utilities such as banking, government payments, subsidy distribution, and elections. They argue for a platform model of governance wherein most critical public goods such as education, healthcare, justice system, taxation, transportation, energy distribution can be delivered efficiently and leak proof.
The authors propose to build 12 such platforms with a start-up culture within government under a strong leadership. They borrow from their experience in UIDAI where they were able to pull off incredible innovations that led up to what we see today Aadhar is able to achieve and the immense potential it carries in unifying India in many ways.
Since this book was written in 2015 one can see their propositions/predictions already playing out, be it e-KYC, Aadhar based payments, direct benefit transfers, GST, e-Toll etc.
A great book overall. It provides not only a roadmap for Digital Transformation of India but hope for a bright future. Even more pertinent for post-Covid India I believe.
December 15, 2023
This book is an inspiring story of how a team of technocrats with vision and mission transformed the Indian Governance model for real. They changed the governance landscape into a technology-first ecosystem in sync with aspiring young India.
This book has picked some of the most pressing issues faced by every Indian citizen and govt . Then explained current issues and how technology can provide solutions to them. A few of them are already real-world common sense now in India like - Aadhar, e-Kyc, digital payments, Digi locker, and many others. While some promising tech-enabled solutions on similar lines are discussed in this book. I hope they become a reality soon. Transforming other sectors of our public life too.
The solution they proposed is simple and pragmatic. List 12 grand challenges in front of India. Create a tech-enabled data-driven platform for them. Create 12 strat-ups within government for 12 challenges. Allow them to provide solutions by leveraging market efficiency, professionals, and expertise to scale up. For eg what NPCI is doing in the field of Digital payments in India and UIDAI for Aadhar.
I wish one day some filmmaker pick up this book and turn it into a web series. This story deserves to be shared with every Indian and the world. This book can inspire every Indian engineer and technocrat to look within for innovative solutions for our unique problem.
This book has picked some of the most pressing issues faced by every Indian citizen and govt . Then explained current issues and how technology can provide solutions to them. A few of them are already real-world common sense now in India like - Aadhar, e-Kyc, digital payments, Digi locker, and many others. While some promising tech-enabled solutions on similar lines are discussed in this book. I hope they become a reality soon. Transforming other sectors of our public life too.
The solution they proposed is simple and pragmatic. List 12 grand challenges in front of India. Create a tech-enabled data-driven platform for them. Create 12 strat-ups within government for 12 challenges. Allow them to provide solutions by leveraging market efficiency, professionals, and expertise to scale up. For eg what NPCI is doing in the field of Digital payments in India and UIDAI for Aadhar.
I wish one day some filmmaker pick up this book and turn it into a web series. This story deserves to be shared with every Indian and the world. This book can inspire every Indian engineer and technocrat to look within for innovative solutions for our unique problem.
February 15, 2020
There are many books which talk about problems, causes of bad performance in overall governance in India and in that process mention briefly about solutions to those problems which is actually peripheral to the scope of those books. However, this book is completely opposite. It gives solutions and that to technology driven solutions. Being from IT background I can clearly realize the importance of the ideas mentioned in this book. Mr Nandan has already proved himself as a successful technology entrepreneur and the solutions that he has mentioned here for the issues concerning governance in India are practical and if implemented successfully can transform India as we know it.
I can see this government slowly and steadily implementing some of those ideas. However, I want them to be bit faster in implementing them. Our bureaucrats should read these kind of book and understand the importance of technology in governance.
I can see this government slowly and steadily implementing some of those ideas. However, I want them to be bit faster in implementing them. Our bureaucrats should read these kind of book and understand the importance of technology in governance.
January 7, 2022
It was a book full of hope and aspiration for an Indian.
It starts with the story of aadhar and what miracles it can bring in every realm of development. The energy sector, education reform, judicial reform, infrastructure and roadways reform, subsidy reform etc., If implemented properly such innovative ideas is not only going to boost India's development but also an individual indian development.
Measures such as Linking adhar with voter id and a robust data driven governance sound really good while reading but India is a unique case of development and data can infringe on our right to privacy which is a major concern. I think we need an autonomous data guarding authority much like the election commission of India and then slowly transition towards maximum governance and minimum government and work on developing this country through a data driven governance model as this book envision.
It starts with the story of aadhar and what miracles it can bring in every realm of development. The energy sector, education reform, judicial reform, infrastructure and roadways reform, subsidy reform etc., If implemented properly such innovative ideas is not only going to boost India's development but also an individual indian development.
Measures such as Linking adhar with voter id and a robust data driven governance sound really good while reading but India is a unique case of development and data can infringe on our right to privacy which is a major concern. I think we need an autonomous data guarding authority much like the election commission of India and then slowly transition towards maximum governance and minimum government and work on developing this country through a data driven governance model as this book envision.
July 6, 2020
Futuristic vision of a India, empowered by utilisation of Technology in all sectors possible, be it Jurisdictions, Economy, Policies and regulations, Government structure, Expenditure tracking, across various government scheme, and more.
Nandan’s step towards building a better idea is definitely a way to go. Technology is the only way to move ahead. Be it in terms of cost reduction or making any process smoother.
I would definitely recommend this book to the current Techies and Geeks of India to gain an inspiration from Nandan’s journey into building the Aadhar network, and his learning and experience from what he has through during his time of working with government, and during the first time he stood in an election.
Give it go! It won’t disappoint you for sure.
Nandan’s step towards building a better idea is definitely a way to go. Technology is the only way to move ahead. Be it in terms of cost reduction or making any process smoother.
I would definitely recommend this book to the current Techies and Geeks of India to gain an inspiration from Nandan’s journey into building the Aadhar network, and his learning and experience from what he has through during his time of working with government, and during the first time he stood in an election.
Give it go! It won’t disappoint you for sure.
August 21, 2020
This book deals with the background story of recent technological changes that happened in India.This book can be divided into two sections. First, which talks about making of aadhaar and benefit it has provided. Second, the benefit aadhaar and use of other technologies can provide to administration to increase transparency. Also, It was fascinating to know how cashless payment, booking cab, hotel, travel tickets online came into picture and ultimately became very popular.
It was very useful book for me as I knew nothing much about Aadhaar. Also, additional flow charts has been provided to enhance the understanding. However, this book was only focused on the brighter side of the coin. It didn't discuss any downsides of aadhaar and recent technology. This book only talked of overcomed challenges but not of the challenges that still exist.
It was very useful book for me as I knew nothing much about Aadhaar. Also, additional flow charts has been provided to enhance the understanding. However, this book was only focused on the brighter side of the coin. It didn't discuss any downsides of aadhaar and recent technology. This book only talked of overcomed challenges but not of the challenges that still exist.
January 29, 2021
This books talks about the power of technology in solving the modern day challenges india is facing. It also details how these inclusive soutions offers easier access of goverment services / subsidies to the common people of india and prevents the friction between government officials and people of india. The fraud and corruption could easily be caught. The best part is that it also talks about the financial implications of the each solutions.
Nandan nilekani also dwells into the idea of creating startups within government with a specific challenge.
Nandan nilekani also dwells into the idea of creating startups within government with a specific challenge.
April 22, 2022
It's easy to play the blame game. It's easy to get bogged down by complexity. It's hard to imagine a systemic change. It's harder to actually execute on your idea of a systemic change navigating the various landmines and deliver on the promise impacting a billion citizens. When someone delivers on that promise, you give credence to their thinking, you listen to what they have to say.
Nandan has a vision and a blueprint for better governance, eventually making it 'invisible' in a common man's life. Inspiring read!
Nandan has a vision and a blueprint for better governance, eventually making it 'invisible' in a common man's life. Inspiring read!
March 15, 2020
A primer on solving fundamental problems that affect hundreds of millions of people in India. The sheer audacity and magnitude of the problem is enough to discourage institutions from even trying to fix it. The author breaks down the process of solving such mega-problems into chronological, discreet steps with sound reasoning behind each step (almost to the extent of sounding infallible, but let's ignore that for now). Will revisit and re-read certain sections over again.
November 27, 2022
This is an excellent discussion of the 12 great programs that need to be executed in India to make the lives of the majority of India’s citizens far better. It’s a plan of elevation. At least Two planks are complete now time to focus on education, energy, health, infrastructure, Etal. Aadhaar - the digital identity system is a revolutionary platform that allows all sorts of other programs for taxes, school, health, subsidies etc plug into and verify each citizen.
August 13, 2020
The book is an impassioned expression of a technocrat's vision of an efficient, well-oiled, tech-savvy, welfare oriented, seamless governance system in India and of the tools required to realise the same. Nandan Nilekani, the man behind Aadhaar, along with Viral Shah, writes a visionary book that's a must read for every Indian citizen.
January 8, 2018
+++
Explains behind the scenes actions that went into building UIDAI(Aadhar) and nuances of a bureaucracy one need to be aware of. Proposes interesting technical solutions to India's most pressing issues.
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Quite slow in some parts
Unnecessary references to other book(s) by Nandan Nilekani
Explains behind the scenes actions that went into building UIDAI(Aadhar) and nuances of a bureaucracy one need to be aware of. Proposes interesting technical solutions to India's most pressing issues.
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Quite slow in some parts
Unnecessary references to other book(s) by Nandan Nilekani
February 4, 2018
What makes this book a must-read is that it not only identifies the key problems in all the sectors but also gives technological solutions to them. The initial chapters also have the story of how Aadhar was built from scratch.
October 20, 2019
It is a technocrat's handbook. It has good content on everything from Aadhar and GST to solutions to fix education, healthcare and judicial system.
The solutions can be debated, and it may seem like the problems have been oversimplified, but it is good food for thought.
The solutions can be debated, and it may seem like the problems have been oversimplified, but it is good food for thought.
October 4, 2020
This book talks about the story of how Aadhar was built from scratch. The challenges were bringing different stakeholders on board, zeroing in on the biometrics, building the technology stack, scale up for 1 billion Indians etc. It also talks about the different use cases of Aadhar like banking for all, payments, faster kyc, direct benefit transfer of subsidies etc. The reader can relate to actual implementation of some of these ideas in last few years. The book also touches upon improving healthcare, education, justice delivery etc using technology. Overall a good read.
June 5, 2023
digital transformation in India
Amazing to read about the digital transformation that is taking place in India . The history behind introduction of Aadhar and UPI makes it a very good reading.
Amazing to read about the digital transformation that is taking place in India . The history behind introduction of Aadhar and UPI makes it a very good reading.
December 21, 2017
Book presents a framework of how the use of technology in governance is changing the landscape of India stressing mainly on Aadhaar based solutions.
December 19, 2017
I felt this book was like "I had told this then. It was my idea." by Nandan and Viral for all the projects current govt of India is implementing.
October 13, 2018
As someone aptly posted in the reviews,the book should be renamed - "Hold my Beer while I fix this country".
October 31, 2018
I have been working with the Government for a year and a half now and everything that Nilekani and Shah tell is so relatable.
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