How can governments build the capabilities required to design, govern, adopt and scale DPI/DPGs?

This question was at the heart of the roundtable discussion, "Governing by Design: New Competencies for the Digital Public Era," convened by the Capacity Building Commission (CBC) under the Global Digital Capacity Building Alliance(GDCBA).

The session was moderated by Dr. Vashima Shubha, Principal Advisor, CBC. Ms. S. Radha Chauhan, Chairperson, CBC emphasized the need for future-ready public institutions capable of harnessing the full potential of digital transformation. This was followed by a keynote address from Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog, on how governance itself is evolving in an era shaped by frontier technologies and digital public infrastructure. The discussion was further enriched by the presence of Dr. Alka Mittal, Member (Administration), CBC.

Drawing on India's experience through Mission Karmayogi and Brazil's journey in public sector innovation, participants examined what it takes to translate digital innovation into meaningful public outcomes. Valuable perspectives from Guilherme Alberto Almeida de Almeida, Vinicius de Faria Silva, Isabella Araújo Figueiredo, Madhuchandra R, Anand Varada, Venu K, Sivakumar Moorty, and Sudharshan Aggarwal enriched the discussion, bringing together insights from government, industry, and the DPI and DPGs ecosystem.

While experiences differed across institutions and countries, there was strong convergence around one central idea: the success of Digital Public Goods ultimately depends on the capabilities of the institutions that adopt them. Panelists emphasized that capacity building is the critical bridge between digital innovation and public impact, and that sustained global collaboration and cross-country learning are essential for enabling responsible, scalable, and context-sensitive adoption of DPGs.

As India advances its vision through Mission Karmayogi and the Global Digital Capacity Building Alliance, conversations such as these are helping build a global community of practice—one that enables countries to learn from one another, strengthen public institutions, and accelerate the effective adoption of digital public solutions.