The Indian School of Business (ISB), a global business school offering management education across its two campuses in Hyderabad and Mohali, on Wednesday announced the launch of the Digital Identity Research Initiative (DIRI) - a multi-disciplinary research initiative on Aadhaar and its implications.
The school will engage with researchers and academic institutions from India and abroad to promote an ecosystem of academic research on Aadhaar. The initial phase of the research will cover the impact of Aadhaar in areas such as benefit transfers, financial inclusion, healthcare schemes, public distribution systems and public policy.
DIRI has received support from Omidyar Network,is a philanthropic investment firm, through a grant of $ 2 million for a period of two years, ISB stated in a press release.
On this occasion, IDinsight’s State of Aadhaar Report 2016-17 was also released. This report provides an overview of Aadhaar’s technological and operational architecture, legal and governance framework, and its applications in financial inclusion, social protection, and emerging uses in other sectors.
“ISB is excited to be leading the Digital Identity Research Initiative as we are confident that this research will be path-breaking and will translate into knowledge with immediate application for policy makers, educators, service providers, and entrepreneurs", ISB Dean Prof Rajendra Srivastava said announcing the launch of the initiative.
Since this research will be multi-faceted, ISB will set up a steering committee comprising senior faculty from ISB, academicians, experts with deep expertise in Aadhaar and private sector practitioners, who will set the research agenda and related processes for this initiative. ISB and Omidyar Network have agreed to partner for an initial period of two years, but since Digital Identity is an evolving but under-researched area, ISB is confident that its impact will translate into a long term research opportunity.
