Configurational Analysis of Infrastructuring in Digital Identity Platforms

Abstract

Digital identity platforms provide unique identity to residents. These also facilitate provision of public services in associated domains like banking, digital payments, healthcare, etc. Such horizontal expansion in multiple domains imparts digital infrastructure characteristics to such platforms. This research ascertains combination of attributes driving infrastructuring of digital identity platforms using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and further substantiated by qualitative contextual knowledge. Several key observations regarding necessity and sufficiency of solutions are made. Although based on Indian digital identity platform Aadhar and other public application program interfaces, this research has global implication since such systems are being implemented in several countries in pursuance of United Nations sustainable development goal (SDG 16.9). This research makes several conceptual, theoretical, public policy and methodological contribution using fsQCA with unique characteristics of organized complexity, configurational approach, and equifinality.