As one of the key architects behind India’s digital transformation journey, Metesh Bhati is spearheading Protean eGov’s shift from building foundational digital infrastructure to engineering the next generation of citizen-centric platforms powered by frontier technologies. In his dual role as Chief AI Officer and Digital Officer, Bhati is navigating the intersection of GenAI, blockchain, and quantum computing, all within the regulatory and ethical frameworks necessary for public systems.
In this exclusive interaction with Express Computer, Bhati unpacks how Protean is designing AI systems that speak India’s many languages, embedding verifiable credentials into public service delivery via ProteanX, and laying the groundwork for post-quantum security—all while ensuring interoperability with India’s growing digital public stacks like ONDC, Ayushman Bharat, and the Account Aggregator framework.
Protean eGov has been at the forefront of building foundational digital infrastructure for India. How is your role evolving as you integrate frontier technologies like GenAI, blockchain, and quantum computing into citizen-centric public platforms?
Protean’s role is fundamentally evolving from primarily building and managing foundational digital public infrastructure (DPI) to actively pioneering its next generation by integrating frontier technologies. We’re leveraging GenAI to create truly intuitive and personalised citizen interfaces, moving beyond static forms to dynamic, conversational interactions across services like taxation and social security. With ProteanX, we’re enabling verifiable, digital identities and credentials, ensuring tamper-proof records and enhanced trust in areas like education certificates. While still nascent, our exploration into quantum computing is focused on long-term security against future threats to our critical infrastructure and optimising complex public sector algorithms.
With AI and VCs driving personalisation and data security, how are you architecting these platforms to be interoperable with India’s emerging digital public stacks like ONDC, Ayushman Bharat, and Account Aggregator?
Our architectural strategy for both our AI capabilities and VC solutions is centred on maximising their future interoperability with India’s core digital public stacks. For AI, we are designing and working on modules that, once mature, will leverage open APIs and standardised data formats to integrate seamlessly. For example, we are exploring how AI can enhance personalisation within the ONDC network for buyer-seller matching. The architecture for our VCs is inherently interoperable, built on W3C verifiable credential standards and decentralised identifiers (DIDs), allowing for trusted exchange of verifiable data across ecosystems. For the Account Aggregator (AA) framework, Protean operates Protean SurakshAA, a live AA entity that enables secure, consent-based financial data sharing between Financial Information Providers (FIPs) and Financial Information Users (FIUs). This deep integration across these major DPIs ensures secure, personalised, and seamless citizen experiences.
How is Protean eGov leveraging GenAI in regulated sectors like BFSI and healthcare without compromising on explainability, data lineage, and compliance with evolving Indian regulations?
In highly regulated sectors like BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) and healthcare, Protean working on leveraging GenAI with a strong focus on responsible AI principles. To enhance customer support through intelligent chatbots, automate routine data processing, and improve fraud detection models. Our approach ensures explainability by designing models that allow for clear understanding of their decision-making process, crucial for auditing and accountability.
Could you walk us through how your biometric and conversational AI layers are being designed for inclusivity, especially considering India’s linguistic, demographic, and accessibility diversity?
For biometrics, we implement multi-modal authentication (e.g., Aadhaar-based fingerprint, facial recognition, and OTP) to cater to various demographics and scenarios, ensuring that physical conditions or technological access don’t become barriers.
For conversational AI we are working on leveraging natural language processing capable of understanding and responding in multiple Indian languages and regional dialects, critically addressing linguistic diversity.
As blockchain underpins ProteanX’s approach to digital identity and data sharing, how are you addressing latency, scalability, and governance—especially in public sector use cases where real-time access and trust are critical?
For ProteanX, where digital identity and data sharing are paramount, capable of leveraging both blockchain and registry systems. We can utilise permissioned blockchain networks for core verifiable credentials (e.g., identity attributes, academic degrees) where trust and immutability are paramount, while also integrating with and verifying against established digital registries for high-volume transactions or existing data points. For governance, a robust framework involving authorised participants, clear rules for validation, dispute resolution, and access control.
With quantum computing on Protean’s radar, what early-stage use cases are you exploring, and how do you envision its future role in securing or optimising digital public infrastructure at scale?
Quantum computing is on Protean’s strategic radar, primarily for its long-term implications for DPI security and optimisation. Our early-stage exploration focuses heavily on post-quantum cryptography (PQC). In the future, we envision quantum computing playing a role in optimising complex, large-scale public sector problems that are currently intractable for classical computers. These are currently conceptual and research-oriented initiatives.