in person
Nirmal Prakash
Managing Director, SmartID
“Mobility has changed the
scenario of our country”
W
hat are your major initiatives in smart card and biometric solutions for effective
e-governance?
Being a major partner in the UID Aadhar project, Nirmal Prakash, Managing Director, Smart ID talks about how technology is helping build an inclusive society and nation building. In an interaction with Dhirendra Pratap Singh, he also shares insights about the delivery of services through smart cards in India.
Government started Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGS) in 2005 and this is where the idea of smart card initiatives started taking shape. MGNREGS has really changed the delivery of services through smart cards. Bihar was the first state which started such programmes through smart cards. Our technology team was formed in August 2008 when the experts from the industry got together to develop the core technology for smart cards. Prior to finding SmartID, the team had worked extensively in the smart card/RFID industry with international working exposure of more than 10 years for major companies like Bundesdruckerei - Germany, Conexant - India, NEC- Japan, NXP -UK, Fujitsu – UK. I believe that technology should not be a barrier; it should bring efficiency to the system. We offer e-Government solutions that enable efficiency, security and convenience required by governments and their citizens. We have deep knowledge and experience in delivering Smart Card Operating System for Transport Application (SCOSTA) compliant smart cards and Smart Card Management System Solution for the MGNREGS. SmartID works closely with system integrators to deliver end to end Smart Card solutions. SmartID provides assistance on migration from paper-based system to smart card driven solution for Public Distribution System (PDS). A multipurpose SCOSTA-based smart card can be used for MGNRGES and PDS application.
What according to you is the future of smart cards in the light of UID and security aspects? UIDAI provides us with a number but a smart card with biometric information gives it the uniqueness. UIDAI will produce a number by using biomet-
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in person
rics. With the increase in number of security breaches and transaction frauds, the need for a highly secure identification and personal verification technologies is becoming indispensable. In this scenario, biometric technologies stand out to be the best option that can prevent or atleast minimise security threats effectively with a wide range of products available in the market. Thus, one can say that the future looks very promising for the biometric technology and smart cards and also it would become a necessity in tomorrow’s world for identification of such a diverse and vast population.
Please share with us your most successful initiatives. Smart ID provides cost effective solutions to the market segments like e-Governance, banking, transportation and IT security. The company has been appointed by the Department of Human Resource Development, Bihar for providing e-Governance services, which include capturing biometric data for the state’s 20 million students and half a million teachers in more than 80,000 government run schools. Since last two years, the company has been working in UID enrolment activities across Bihar and Jharkhand. UID enrolment at Deoghar and Centralised Monitoring cum Data Centre project (Shiksha Darpan) for the Department of Human Resource Development, Government of Bihar are some of the prominent projects for us. Smart ID has also set up a state-of-the-art data center and a 40-seater call center to provide instant information to students and teachers about some common issues concerning them. The infrastructure also provides accurate and timely information to the officials in the Ministry regarding the 16 schemes run by the government for the benefits of students. These include midday meals, books and uniforms for girl children, scholarship disbursal, and bicycle provision.
According to you what kind of role does ICT play in effective governance? India is a country of ironies. We are growing at a rate of 8-9 per cent, however there still is a majority of population that is below poverty line and doesn’t have shelter, food or clothes. It has been ten years since we are talking about G2C services, but most of it is yet to be delivered to the citizens. In such a scenario, ICT takes up an important role to play. From
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electronic driver’s licenses to Unique ID cards, smart healthcare cards and e-passports, ICT offers high-quality, secure and durable range of solutions to suit all national requirements.
According to you what are the prerequisites for wider financial inclusion? Please share with us your initiatives in financial inclusion. Financial inclusion is delivery of banking services at an affordable cost to the vast sections of underprivileged and low income groups living in rural parts of country. As banking services are in the nature of public service, it is essential that availability of banking and payment services to the entire population without discrimination is the prime objective of the public policy. In the context of financial inclusion the bank envisages extension of banking and financial services to under-banked and un-banked areas through Smart Card technology to provide branchless banking and deliver financial and banking services.
What are your initiatives in MGNREGA? SmartID has successfully partnered with Cross Match to register and identify residents for various projects, including Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation program, the Public Distribution System (PDS), a pilot program of National Population Registry, a pilot program for the UID project and a proof-of-concept in Bihar. Across the country, we have been able to easily capture high-quality images with Cross Match scanners.
Being a young entrepreneur what would be your message to youngsters who want to make it on their own in this highly competitive world? India is the nation of villages. Our Indian economy runs on rural population and working for rural people makes sense for me. Our aim is bringing new life to this system and
“From electronic driver’s
licenses to Unique ID cards, smart healthcare cards and e-passports, ICT
offers a range of solutions to fit all national requirements”
We believe in creating very sustainable Banking Correspondents’ (BC) model in Financial Inclusion. Last mile connectivity can be achieved through the BC model, but this model also has a lot of shortcomings. BC model is nothing but outsourcing core functions of banking industry to non-banking agents. Business continuity in the model is essential. A key problem is that we are not appointing the BC as an individual but rather through section 25 companies. They are also not able to identify people in villages. Our company’s financial inclusion solution includes customer acquisition, banking transactions, non-banking transactions (micro insurance, investments, and value-added services), magstripe card, contact and contactless smart card, plain PVC cards and laminated card. In handheld device segment, we are offering GPRS, CDMA and PSTN facilities money transaction from smart card to core banking server.
it gives me a lot of satisfaction. We must do something which gives a message to the society. We should create some sustainable model which can bring our rural people in the mainstream of development. This will create wealth for the whole spciety.
What is your vision for the future roadmap of Smart ID? There are the gaps in identity and services and we have to bridge the gap. We are putting too much focus in the eastern parts of the country in UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, and North East States. It is important for us to change the life of rural people. We are very focused on services on product and to reform social life. If product fails, service fails. Product, solution and services are our three verticals that we focus into company. We have lots of responsibilities in e-Governance, banking, transportation and IT security.