#62 - The Bhutan National Digital Identity (NDI): What it takes for a Nationwide Launch (with Kumar Gajmer and Pallavi Sharma)

Kumar Gajmer is the Product Manager and the Technical Lead for the Bhutan National Digital Identity (NDI) Project. He started his career in IT in 2008 as a Software Engineer. After completion of his high school in Bhutan, he did his bachelor's in Information Technology from Anna University, India. Pallavi Sharma leads Marketing and Communications for the Bhutan National Digital Identity (NDI) Project. As part of the role, she drives media, public relations, and education campaigns to accelerate adoption of the Bhutan NDI digital wallet. She also works in close liaison with national and international stakeholders for enhanced product positioning and visibility.

About Podcast Episode

Read more about the episode by heading to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://northernblock.io/podcasts/bhutan-national-digital-identity-ndi-what-it-takes-for-a-nationwide-launch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The full list of topics discussed between Kumar, Pallavi and Mathieu in this podcast episode include,

1. Project Goals and Context - What were the overall goals of the Bhutan NDI project, and how do they relate to the specific context and needs of Bhutan?
2. Financial Inclusion and Digital Identity - How does focusing on financial inclusion as a starting point influence the approach to digital identity in Bhutan?
3. Decentralized Architecture Decision - What research and considerations led to the choice of a decentralized architecture for Bhutan's digital identity program?
4. Legal Framework and Privacy - How is privacy integrated into Bhutan's legislation, and what legal adjustments were made to accommodate digital identity?
5. Legislative Process Duration and Challenges - What was the timeline and were there any significant challenges in developing the National Digital Identity Act?
6. Governance and Public-Private Partnership - What does the governance body for the NDI look like, and how does the public-private partnership model function?
7. Business Strategy and Ecosystem Growth - How were use cases developed, and what strategies were employed to grow the ecosystem and foster public-private partnerships?
8. Voluntary Participation - Is participation in the digital ID system optional for Bhutanese citizens?
9. Use Case Categorization - How are use cases categorized and prioritized within the digital identity framework?
10. Foundational Identity Credential - What does the foundational identity credential look like, and what government records form its basis?
11. Private Sector Collaboration - What challenges were faced in educating and gaining buy-in from the private sector for the new digital identity infrastructure?
12. Private Sector as Credential Issuers - Are there concerns from the private sector about the risks associated with becoming credential issuers?
13. Technology and Wallet Infrastructure - Why was a decision made to develop a specific wallet for Bhutan's NDI instead of using existing wallet infrastructures like Apple or Google Wallet?
14. International Standards and Compatibility - How were international standards considered in the development of Bhutan's digital identity infrastructure to accommodate foreigners?

Where to find Kumar?

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kumar-gajmer-b8195024/ ⁠⁠

Where to find Pallavi?

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallavi-sharma-4302a737/

Follow Mathieu Glaude

• X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/mathieu_glaude⁠⁠
• LinkedIn:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathieuglaude/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://northernblock.io/