Varad Pande
The writer works at Omidyar Network India, an investment firm focussed on social impact through equity investments and grants, with an emphasis on technology.
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More From Varad Pande
Filling the physical gaps in India’s digital push
Non-tech elements like community engagement and governance are important to realise utility for digital platforms
Mon, Mar 07, 2022
How to create a truly digital public
Varad Pande, Sarayu Natarajan write: Technology must be designed with the people in mind.
Sun, Oct 31, 2021
Free and Open Source Software has great potential in government applications
Abhishek Singh, Varad Pande writes: Constraints in public procurement processes have kept the potential from being fully realised. This must change
Tue, Aug 31, 2021
How Open Network for Digital Commerce could disrupt India’s e-commerce space
Dominated by a few players, it presents a legitimate case for intervention. But government should proceed with caution as it comes with risks
Fri, Jul 23, 2021
Lessons in direct income support from Odisha
Governments can learn much on how to construct a social welfare system for farmers from Odisha's KALIA scheme for DIS.
Mon, Mar 15, 2021
Privacy policies online are illegible and ‘consent’ is broken. New ideas are needed
By educating and empowering every Indian, we will enable her to participate fully in India’s digital economy, and thereby create a meaningful digital life for every Indian.
Mon, Jan 18, 2021
Experience with GST holds valuable lessons for One Nation One Ration Card
If done well, One Nation, One Ration Card, could lay the foundation of a truly national and portable benefits system that includes other welfare programmes like LPG subsidy and social pensions.
Wed, May 27, 2020
Privacy law should not disproportionately increase cost of business for start-ups
India has set itself a goal of a $1-trillion digital economy. This ambitious target will require it to develop a thriving start-up ecosystem. It is therefore important that the privacy bill does not lead to an uneven playing field for them.
Fri, Mar 13, 2020
To achieve its full potential, Aadhaar should be made easier and safer to use
Aadhaar has touched the life of almost every Indian resident. If there is one learning from the study, it is that the best way to deliver on the promise of Aadhaar is to focus on improving the user experience, making it easier for everyone to use Aadhaar safely every day.
Thu, Dec 19, 2019
A hundred small steps
Government should restructure PDS to meet goal of ‘one nation, one ration card’
Thu, Sep 26, 2019
The government must address concerns over privacy and secrecy of data
We believe that with big data comes big responsibility. As demonstrated by Cambridge Analytica and numerous other data breaches, poorly designed systems create risks for individuals, businesses and governments.
Wed, Jul 31, 2019