NIC India hosts 8 million Govt. documents on five blockchains

For product development, the country uses three blockchain platforms: Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Sawtooth, and Ethereum

By Shashank Bhardwaj

Published: Mar 7, 2024 03:58:27 PM IST

Updated: Mar 7, 2024 04:05:56 PM IST

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India's National Informatics Centre (NIC), a government agency under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has revealed it is currently hosting nearly eight million verifiable government-issued documents across five blockchains.

The NIC launched a new website to highlight its blockchain initiatives. According to the provided data, these documents, which cover areas such as education, property, judiciary, and drug logistics, total approximately 7.93 million.

In India, the development of products primarily relies on three blockchain platforms: Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Sawtooth, and Ethereum. The country currently employs five blockchain products: certificate chain, document chain, drug logistics chain, judiciary chain, and property chain.

The documents originate from six different states and three government departments, namely the Central Board of Secondary Education, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice.

Departments utilising blockchain technology have implemented verification services for property ownership, birth and death certificates, as well as a supply chain management system for medicines and educational certificates.

Additionally, India is actively developing proof-of-concept blockchains dedicated to land records, blood banks, tracking goods and services tax, and a public distribution system.

India’s interest in blockchain is not new. Back in 2023, Hindustan Petroleum, one of India’s largest oil and gas companies, collaborated with the blockchain software firm Zupple Labs to integrate blockchain-based digital credentialing technology into its purchase order system.

India's objective behind adopting blockchain is to address the issue of document forgery. By leveraging blockchain, the Indian government issues digitally verifiable and immutable certificates, preventing alteration or misuse by malicious actors.

Although India remains hesitant to fully endorse cryptocurrencies, it has generally embraced blockchain technology, with numerous state and local governments actively contributing to the nation’s blockchain adoption efforts.

Despite its cautious stance on cryptocurrencies, evidenced by tax regulations, India is embracing blockchain for document security and verification purposes. As the nation continues to explore blockchain's potential, it's evident that technology remains a focal point in India's digital transformation journey.

Shashank is the founder of yMedia. He ventured into crypto in 2013 and is an ETH maximalist.

Twitter: @bhardwajshash