The Aadhaar Effect: Why the World’s Largest Identity Project Matters

Aadhaar is the largest and most ambitious IT project ever undertaken anywhere in the world. It has the potential to improve the lives—and compromise the privacy—of a billion people. N.S. Ramnath and Charles Assisi did an excellent job of documenting its progression. Through extensive research and interviews, they bring Aadhaar’s story to life and offer important lessons to policy makers all over the world. (Vivek Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School and Carnegie Mellon University and author of The Driver in the Driverless Car)

This book on Project Aadhaar is an urgent one for those in leadership roles across the world because the future is happening faster. Yet, there is no data about the future, and leaders can only imagine it. They must adapt constantly, set audacious goals in a fuzzy environment, deploy the right people, conserve resources, and use instinct as well. (Ram Charan, global advisor to CEOs and boards, author of numerous books, and articles in Harvard Business Review and Fortune magazine)

Here’s a much-needed, clear-eyed, engaging description of the Aadhaar effect, displaying the entrepreneurial team’s chutzpah, ambition, partnership ethos, efficiency, and desire to create public goods at scale. We should celebrate Aadhaar’s numerous positives, but also embrace and deal with the flux it has triggered in society. (Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor, Harvard Business School; Director, Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University)

India’s overwhelming human capital coexists in an underwhelming community, caged by the state. Aadhaar attempts an audacious breakout. Its outcomes, ground-breaking or otherwise, will echo. Ramnath and Charles string people, events, and ideas with scholarly storytelling. A tour de force. (Sanjeev Aga, former CEO of Idea Cellular and board member at leading companies and non-profits.)

As a nation rebuilt its 21st century digital DNA with Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric database, journalists Ramnath and Assisi offer a fascinating ringside view, warts and all, of an incredible achievement that is India’s new tryst with destiny. (Raju Narisetti, Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism)

Ramnath and Charles work through a complex maze and come out with an engaging narrative. This book is a great sense-making exercise on India’s greatest information technology tool created so far. (Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, Odisha Skill Development Authority)

The Aadhaar Effect is a thorough and provocative analysis of one of the most ambitious efforts of our time. Project Aadhaar could well serve as a blueprint for other countries getting ready for the digital economy. (Sangeet Paul Choudary, Member of the World Economic Forum’s Council on Platforms and Systems; co-author of Platform Revolution and author of Platform Scale)

The Aadhaar Effect is a lovely book. It is an “all things considered” account of the widespread changes induced in the Indian economy by Aadhaar—a biometric means for identifying every person, as well as an “all points of view are respected” explanation of the huge controversies it has generated. Very readable and very educative. (Arun Maira, former Member, Planning Commission of India; former Chairman, Boston Consulting Group, India)

Using the Lego block as a metaphor, Charles and Ramnath bring to life the evolution of Aadhaar, from being just a technology tool to a change catalyst across governments, businesses and the social sector. Clearly, much research has gone to present the potential benefits and accompanying risks. It helps readers form an informed opinion about the most important digital project of our times. (Harsh Mariwala, Chairman, Marico)

Two decades from now, India will be in a different league. Looking back then, Aadhaar will be seen as a marker of significant shifts in India’s journey towards creating accountability, governance and digital infrastructure. Whatever form Aadhaar takes, The Aadhaar Effect is an essential chronicle that documents the twists, turns, possibilities and pitfalls of the unique transformation a nation is witnessing. (Haresh Chawla, Partner, True North)

Journalists N.S. Ramnath and Charles Assisi dive deep into the 12-digit number that has touched 1.2 billion lives and counting—and in the bargain, made the world sit up and take note of India’s ambition

The Aadhaar Effect is a journalistic account of one of the biggest and audacious transformational projects in India that leverages the power of technology to help improve the lives of a billion people.

It is the first in a series around themes that Founding Fuel has identified as crucial for those in leadership roles. It has engaged in formal relationships with fine minds and universities across the world so that learnings from thought leaders can be distilled and transmitted on what it takes to shape public policy and build enterprises that last. To know more visit www.foundingfuel.com.

The Aadhaar Effect is the story of how India built a bunch of digital platforms to bring hundreds of millions of people into the digital economy—via a national, biometric identity system, a payments interface, a consent architecture, etc. There is deep interest in India’s rise around the world. And Aadhaar is a leitmotif of both India’s tech prowess and social transformation.

Except that not enough people are quite well-versed with the strategic intent—or the transformative power of Aadhaar. The story behind Aadhaar remains, for most part, untold. There is a need for more people to read about, engage and debate the idea behind Aadhaar. Because it holds the key to how India—and indeed other emerging markets—can possibly leapfrog, using the power of technology. It has kicked up intense, polarised debate on its impact, with some claiming it is all good, and others claiming it is all bad. Both sides miss the truth.

Tens of millions of Indians did not have an identity that was accepted across the country. The government lacked the capacity to provide targeted welfare and benefits to people who needed it most.

By building Aadhaar as an identity platform, a Lego block, the ambitious project aimed to address both issues. It gave identity to every resident in the country. And it allowed governments, social enterprises and businesses to build innovative solutions on top of the platform.

The story of Aadhaar is about how these blocks came to be built and how they are being used, and misused, on the ground.

It’s a story that will be of interest to policy makers, business leaders, techies etc.