New Delhi: The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, successfully concluded the second webinar in its Public Policy and Good Governance series. Chaired by V. Srinivas, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) and Director General of NCGG, the webinar featured distinguished speakers addressing critical themes in policy making and digital business regulation.
Dr. Ajay Kumar, former Defence Secretary and Distinguished Visiting Professor at IIT Kanpur, delivered a lecture on “Challenges in Public Policy.” He explored the evolving role of the Government of India in policy making and discussed the gradual shift towards more inclusive, phased approaches. Dr. Kumar underscored the impact of digitalization, using the digitization of land records as an example, and emphasized data-driven decision making. He advocated for engaging diverse stakeholders and suggested policy incentives to support progressive changes.
The second speaker, Prof. Vimal Kumar, Head of Economic Sciences at IIT Kanpur, presented on the “Platform Business Model and Regulation in the Digital Economy.” He traced the transformation of business in India from small-scale artisanal production to mass production, highlighting the importance of digital platforms in modern business. Prof. Kumar discussed the operational intricacies of payment networks, social media, e-commerce platforms, and app stores, emphasizing network dynamics and cross-group attraction. He illustrated his points with case studies, comparing BMW’s traditional model with Uber’s digital platform-based approach.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Himanshi Rastogi, Associate Professor at NCGG. Dr. Rastogi expressed appreciation for the participation of institutions and universities across the country and thanked Shri V. Srinivas for his leadership.