Leveraging digital profiles and verifiable credentials to connect citizens with government and private benefits, reducing friction and accelerating disbursement.

Key Metrics

Time Efficiency:

99.99% reduction in processing time
(from ~180 days to 2 minutes)

Background

Tekdi Technologies, in collaboration with the philanthropic arm of a global business conglomerate & guidance from EkStep, developed a Unified Benefits Architecture (UBA) to streamline the delivery of government and private benefits to citizens. Built on the ONEST network, the UBA leverages digital profiles and verifiable credentials to address key challenges such as discoverability, trust, and efficiency. A successful pilot project demonstrated a significant reduction in disbursement time, from months to hours, while also improving the overall experience for beneficiaries and benefit providers.

Problem Statement & Objectives

Traditional benefit delivery systems are often fragmented and inefficient, resulting in lengthy processing times, lack of transparency, and limited access for beneficiaries. Citizens face challenges in discovering eligible schemes, gathering necessary documentation, and tracking application status. Benefit providers struggle with verifying applicant information, managing paperwork, and disbursing funds in a timely manner. The UBA project aimed to address these challenges by creating a set of network enabled appliances that connects beneficiaries with relevant schemes, simplifies the application process, and accelerates disbursement through the use of verifiable credentials and digital profiles.

Approach & Process Followed

Tekdi's approach involved developing a modular and interoperable architecture built on the ONEST network and protocol for Financial Aid Specification. Key components of the UBA include:

  • Provider App: Enables benefit providers to create and manage schemes.

  • Verifiable Credentials Issuer: Allows trusted institutions (e.g., school principals acting as "digital notaries") to issue digitally signed credentials.

  • Digital Wallet: Provides a secure repository for beneficiaries to store and manage their verifiable credentials (W3C VC spec).

  • Beneficiary App: Connects to the ONEST network to discover relevant schemes and apply using pre-populated digital profiles (Blue Dot profile).

  • Verification Service: Automates the verification of credentials on both the beneficiary and provider sides.

The platform leverages open-source components such as DigiAttest (built leveraging Sunbird RC), Opensource seeker & provider interfaces built by Tekdi, Strapi & DIGIT. School principals in select states, where they have the legal power to notarize documents, were trained to use the Digital Issuance systems. The Blue Dot profile, which makes the user profile visible on the network, includes core identity data, academic information, and income details.

Outcomes

Reduced Disbursement Time

Scholarship disbursement time was reduced from months to hours.

Increased Efficiency

The UBA streamlined processes for all stakeholders, from application to verification and disbursement.

Improved Beneficiary Experience

Beneficiaries experienced a more user-friendly and transparent application process.

Key outcomes included:

  • Schemes now reach the Beneficiary

  • Reduction of friction from discovery to disbursal

  • High trust applications towards reducing transaction time.

Impact Achieved in terms of

Business Impact:

Improved efficiency of processes, faster turnaround times for disbursement, cost savings due to reduced paperwork and manual verification.

User Impact:

Happier beneficiaries with faster access to funds, a simplified application process, and increased transparency in the benefit delivery system.

Tech Stack

Node Js, React, Java Spring Boot. Open source components used included DigiAttest (built leveraging Sunbird RC), Opensource seeker & provider interfaces built by Tekdi, Strapi & DIGIT.

Brand Alignment

This project embodies Tekdi Technologies' belief in acting as catalysts for societal transformation by empowering organizations and individuals with technology. The UBA demonstrates our commitment to building innovative solutions that address real-world challenges and improve the lives of people in underserved communities. It reflects our values of being humble, caring, modern, approachable, credible, and sophisticated in our approach to technology and social impact.