Case studies
Learn from DPI governance and digital transformation in practice.
A curated set of short case studies from UCL IIPP and partners on how countries are designing, governing and using Digital Public Infrastructure.
Case studies are for teaching and discussion purposes only and are not for distribution.
Compares the M-Pesa mobile money system in Kenya with the UPI digital payment system in India, examining their different approaches to achieving financial inclusion.
Explores Aadhaar, India's ambitious project to create a unique digital identity for its residents, and the implications of implementing such a system at scale.
Looks at how California's CalFresh food stamp programme was reimagined using digital tools to improve access and user experience.
Examines how California's Child Welfare Services disrupted traditional technology procurement in order to modernise its systems.
Explores India's National Urban Governance Platform (NUGP) and its platform approach to building digital infrastructure for urban service delivery.
Analyses the policy and legislative dynamics surrounding Jamaica's National Identification System (NIDS).
Investigates India's DigiLocker, a digital document and data sharing infrastructure that achieved widespread adoption through a strategic onboarding process.
Examines the financing, governance and sustainability challenges of scaling digital solutions in siloed governmental structures.
Looks at how a DPI approach is applied within the specific domain of the US Department of Transportation to enable trusted data sharing.
Learning Outcomes
This comparative study takes you into the heart of the two most successful financial inclusion stories in the global south. You will explore the 'Platform vs. Product' debate: M-Pesa's journey as a private-led, telco-based solution in Kenya versus India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a public-led, open-protocol ecosystem. Learners will analyze how different regulatory environments and technological choices—centralized versus decentralized—impact the speed of adoption, market competition, and the long-term sustainability of digital payment systems.
Key Stakeholders
The narrative highlights the critical roles of Central Banks (like the RBI and Central Bank of Kenya), Telecommunications Giants (Safaricom), and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It also examines the ecosystem of Commercial Banks, Fintech Startups, and the millions of unbanked users whose shift to digital finance fundamentally altered national economic landscapes.
Focus: Comparative analysis of digital payment systems for financial inclusion.