Key Points
- Government proposes shared digital infrastructure for audit and consulting firms
- Sub-Committee recommends three-layer framework covering technology, learning and knowledge resources
- Initiative targets small and medium professional services practices facing technology gaps
The Centre is developing a shared digital infrastructure to help audit, compliance and consulting firms access advanced technology, with a particular focus on supporting small and medium practices that lack resources to invest in expensive enterprise tools.
A Sub-Committee on Digital Public Good, constituted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) in April 2026, submitted its recommendations in May 2026. The report proposes a government-backed ecosystem to address uneven access to technology, professional knowledge and structured capability development across India’s professional services sector.
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Pallavi Jain Govil, secretary, MCA, said the initiative was necessary given India’s development ambitions and the increasing role of technology in delivering audit, compliance, consulting and other professional services. She was speaking at a workshop organised by MCA and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) in New Delhi on Thursday (27 August).
Three-layer framework
The proposed Digital Public Good framework, a system of shared digital resources available to all participants rather than proprietary to any single firm, envisages three broad layers. The first covers curated access to technology solutions. The second addresses learning and capability development. The third provides knowledge and practice infrastructure.
The framework is intended to give professional services firms, particularly smaller practices, access to technology solutions and professional knowledge resources without displacing existing institutional or market-based systems.
Rahul Jain, joint secretary, MCA, said the workshop examined how technology, shared digital resources and appropriate institutional mechanisms could enable professional services firms of different sizes to progressively strengthen their capabilities.
Industry consultation
The workshop brought together policymakers, regulators, technology companies, professional services firms, professional institutes, Digital Public Infrastructure experts and academics. Technical sessions examined the purpose and possible contours of shared digital infrastructure, the role of technology firms in design and deployment, and how India’s supervisory technology systems could adopt DPI principles.
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), refers to foundational digital systems such as identity verification, payments and data exchange that operate as shared resources across an economy. India’s experience with systems such as Aadhaar and the Unified Payments Interface informed discussions on how similar approaches could benefit professional services.
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Panellists included representatives from IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, IIT Kanpur, the Open Network for Digital Commerce, Google, Yotta Data Services, Reliance Industries, IFSCA and Deloitte South Asia.
Discussions covered cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data analytics, cybersecurity and enterprise technology. Participants also examined technology solutions already available in the market, models for affordable access, implementation requirements and the sequencing of technology adoption for small and medium practices.
Key recommendations
Participants highlighted the importance of improving access to technology and professional knowledge, strengthening digital capability among smaller firms, and ensuring interoperability and security. They also emphasised building on existing systems rather than duplicating them, while retaining openness, competition and choice in the technology ecosystem.
The workshop was the latest in a series of consultations undertaken by MCA and IICA on strengthening India’s domestic auditing and consulting ecosystem. The initiative is being anchored by the School of Corporate Governance and Public Policy at IICA.
Your Questions, Answered
What is the proposed digital infrastructure for professional services?
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs proposes a government-backed shared digital ecosystem with three layers: curated technology access, learning and capability development, and knowledge and practice infrastructure. It aims to help audit, compliance and consulting firms access advanced technology.
Which firms will benefit from this initiative?
The initiative particularly targets small and medium professional services practices that lack resources to invest in expensive enterprise technology tools. It aims to address uneven access to technology and professional knowledge across the sector.
What is Digital Public Good in this context?
Digital Public Good refers to shared digital resources available to all participants rather than proprietary to any single firm. The concept draws from India’s experience with systems such as Aadhaar and UPI.
When did the Sub-Committee submit its recommendations?
The Sub-Committee on Digital Public Good was constituted by MCA in April 2026 and submitted its report in May 2026 with recommendations for the shared digital ecosystem.