Towards the end of 2023, Protean eGov Technologies, a tech company that builds digital public infrastructure (DPI) and eGovernance solutions for the country, launched India’s first multi-sector marketplace for APIs, microservices and more, called Rise with Protean. 

Formerly known as NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited, and recently listed on BSE, Protean’s offerings aim to address the gap of empowering businesses of all kinds to access the building blocks of digital transformation. 

“Rise addresses roadblocks like longer lead times, security vulnerabilities, financial risks and trust erosion faced by tech leaders during their digital transformation programs. It lets users focus on what matters most, which is creating incredible digital experiences that drive business forward,” said Bertram D’Souza, chief product & innovation officer, Protean eGov Technologies, in an exclusive interaction with AIM. 

Crucial and Sensitive Data Handling 

Protean’s marketplace platform has over 300 offerings, and provides open source, open frameworks and open architecture that supports interoperability across sectors such as BFSI, commerce and mobility (ONDC), education (ONEST), agritech, healthtech, and more, which places it in the sensitive space of data management as well. 

Being in the crucial space of handling huge volumes of data through its partnership with India’s critical tech infrastructure projects such as PAN, Aadhaar, and others, Rise employs multiple measures to safeguard data. It relies on robust security measures, advanced encryption stands, strict access controls, and regular security audits. 

“Protean has close to three decades of experience in handling population-scale data. We will be leveraging this experience by bringing the learnings to Rise with Protean as well,” said D’Souza. “Additionally, our compliance, regulatory requirements and dedicated cybersecurity monitoring ensures robust protection against threats, prioritising user trust and confidentiality.” 

Scaling Amidst Hurdles 

While talking about the challenges in the implementation of such technologies, D’Souza mentioned that as per McKinsey’s digital report, ‘collaboration’ is the biggest hurdle for tech leaders implementing API programs, which leads to delays, financial risks and eroded trust. However, scaling the platform will take its course. 

“Scaling Rise with Protean will involve capitalising on the existing traction and addressing potential industry challenges. Early interest from BFSI giants using our taxation, social security, and identity stacks offers a solid foundation. We’re also seeing a demand for new products in diverse sectors such as fintech, agritech, healthtech, and eCommerce,” said D’Souza.  

Bringing multiple sector offerings, the company does not focus on any standalone industry. “Rise caters to businesses of any size, including tech leaders, developers, and enterprises looking to navigate the complexities of digital transformation,” said D’Souza. 

He also believes that the target market encompasses a wide variety of industries and businesses looking to enhance operations, customer experiences and market offerings. 

Standing Apart

Thriving in a competitive industry, Protean eGov Technologies clashes with big tech providers such as TCS, Infosys, and Wipro, who offer similar services. However, they stand apart in terms of offering quicker and simpler implementation from the customer’s end. 

“Rise looks to offer out-of-the-box user journeys in the form of progressive web apps (PWAs) which can be easily embedded in client front-end applications and digital channels to enable GTM launches in weeks. It introduces a single window for procurement and support of products & services, coupled with a developer-centric approach, transparent pricing and high uptime with multiple fallbacks to ensure business continuity,” said D’Souza. 

Long-standing India Stack Provider

Protean has been operating for over 28 years and has been one of the key contributors to India’s stack through APIs. The company has achieved over 7 billion online PAN verifications, 2 billion Aadhaar authentications, 1 billion eKYCs and over 240 million eSigns. They even provide made-in-India cloud offerings and InfoSec services for businesses. 

Protean has also played a pivotal role in modernising the direct tax infrastructure, with online tax payment and tax collection, and incubating and implementing the Tax Information Network (TIN), which has brought over 68,000 facilitation centres (PAN and TIN). 

“Rise with Protean’s vision of empowering everyone to build and innovate could contribute to a more collaborative and inclusive digital future, where knowledge and tools are readily available to all,” said D’Souza, touching upon the company’s positive vision.