This is a contributor content by Nischal Shetty, CoFounder of Shardeum.
Over the last decade, we have seen India undergo one of the most powerful digital transformations in the world. From identity and payments to public digital platforms, Digital India has fundamentally changed how millions of people access services and participate in the economy. What started as a push for inclusion has now become the foundation of India’s digital growth.
But as this ecosystem matures, a new question emerges: access alone is no longer enough.
Today, Indians can transact, communicate, and build online at scale. Yet most digital systems remain centralized. Users can participate, but they rarely own their data, assets, or digital presence. As our economy becomes increasingly digital, this gap between access and ownership will define the next chapter of India’s technology journey. This is where on-chain infrastructure becomes relevant.
Blockchain introduces a new layer of the internet one that enables verifiable ownership, transparent coordination, and programmable value. It doesn’t replace the digital systems we’ve built; it strengthens them. By adding trust directly into infrastructure, on-chain systems reduce reliance on intermediaries and allow digital interactions to be natively global. I believe India is uniquely positioned to lead this shift.
We are a mobile-first nation with one of the world’s largest developer communities. More importantly, we’ve already demonstrated the power of open, interoperable systems built at population scale. The success of India’s digital public infrastructure shows what becomes possible when innovation is built on shared rails rather than closed platforms. India on- chain is not about speculation or market cycles. It is about long-term infrastructure enabling ownership, participation, and value creation in a digital economy that is increasingly borderless. From payments and identity to digital assets and global coordination, on-chain systems open up new possibilities for builders and users alike.
Globally, finance and commerce are becoming programmable by default. Digital value now moves across borders as easily as information once did. In this environment, countries that help build the underlying infrastructure will shape standards and capture long-term economic value. Those that wait risk becoming dependent on systems designed elsewhere. For India, this moment matters.
If we view blockchain only through the lens of short-term risk, we miss its broader opportunity, the chance to extend Digital India from access to ownership, and from adoption to leadership. Supporting innovation in this space is not about choosing technology over regulation, but about enabling responsible experimentation and long-term competitiveness.
The next phase of Digital India will not be defined solely by faster transactions or wider connectivity. It will be defined by who owns digital value, who builds foundational infrastructure, and who participates in shaping the future Internet.
India on-chain represents that next phase, one where our digital growth is matched by digital ownership, and where Indian builders help shape the systems the world will rely on tomorrow.
The article “Why India’s Digital Future Must Move On Chain” was first published on AlexaBlockchain. Read the complete article here: https://alexablockchain.com/why-india-digital-future-must-move-on-chain/
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