Overview:

The eGovernments Foundation (eGov) is a nonprofit organization that aims to transform urban governance in India through DIGIT, its flagship technology platform. DIGIT helps urban local bodies more efficiently manage operations, track finances, and provide municipal services to citizens.

This profile is one in a series of eight that illustrate several unique roles that bold philanthropy can play in surmounting India’s many social challenges. Though identified in the Indian context, these roles are so foundational to the global philanthropic ecosystem that they can be thought of as archetypes of bold giving. You can learn more about these archetypes in our report Bold Philanthropy in India: Insights from Eight Social Change Initiatives.

Primary Philanthropists/Funders:

Nandan Nilekani, Omidyar Network, Tata Trusts, and Google

Grant Amount:

INR 52 crores (USD 7.8 million) to date

Primary Focus:

Urban governance

Archetype:

Key Partners:

• Vassar Labs
• Karvy
• National Institute of Urban Affairs

Why Bold?

By incorporating both government-focused and citizen-focused technology solutions in DIGIT, eGov has developed a 360-degree solution to India’s urban governance problem. In addition, DIGIT’s open-source technology allows for the rapid creation of new modules, in partnership with a wide array of software developers. To date, DIGIT has been deployed in five states—Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh—delivering enhanced services to 40 million urban citizens.

Key Learnings:

• Establish a scalable model to enable widespread adoption
• Partner with government officials who are committed to mobilizing change
• Invest in efforts to increase public awareness and adoption
• Build solutions that address the needs of all stakeholders
• Use the expertise of partner organizations to drive impact
• Use data-driven feedback loops to improve program efficacy