Networks & Databases– Theory and Practice

The header might sound like the title of a textbook used in undergraduate engineering courses. But the two words-networks and databases-symbolize the power and potential for innovation. And much of this innovation would be more suited and helpful to countries like India and many other emerging ones to address development issues using ICT.

The recent deal by India Post about its transformation in the financial services area is a case in point. The deal involves India Post transforming its age-old deposits business into a model that vastly enhances its reach and relevance across India. The initiative aims to address issues such as digital inclusion and financial inclusion of the vast under-served segments in India. The large-scale technology project involves a complete overhaul of India Post's business to make it a financial services and insurance business with coverage wide and deep.

I was speaking with CN Raghunath, head, India business, Infosys who is involved with the deal. India Post's deal chose Infosys' Finacle, a core banking software, which will serve as the ‘platform' for the transformation, Raghunath revealed. Our conversation led to the core of a different topic about how other industries or institutions can be transformed using technology and the potential such transformation holds in solving some development challenges for countries.

Like India Post, there are many organizations that network the country. Examples include networks of primary healthcare centers, ration shops, regional transport offices, municipal schools, police stations and many others, beyond the obvious ones like banks, power, railways, and telecom. Theoretically, these are network-based organizations.

Each of these organizations already hold a database of its users or if not, it can be created. What is needed to unify the organization is a platform that brings together the networksand the databases in such a way tha services can be delivered. The platform is the driver for innovation and transformation; many Indian companies have created many such platforms to solve challenging problems across the world. Let us go a step further. What if we overlay one platform over another, that is, interface one organization with another?

For example, if the health network is overlaid with the insurance network or the school network with libraries or ration shops with banks. The possibilities are huge. Add to this heady mixture, a layer of analytics-the possibilities are even greater. I agree that some of these may be conceptual or theoretical or even a figment of my imagination and may yield nought. But the ones that work out will create economic miracles.
After all, for India, these platforms would be more fruitful than platforms such as Anna, Ramdev, etc, to make a difference to the people and society.