Indian citizens may soon have the option to digitally sign documents via cryptographic tokens. The feature is conceived as part of a project to develop a national web browser led by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
On Aug. 9, the ministry announced the launch of the India Web Browser Development Challenge, hoping to “incentivize and empower” developers from across the country to create a home-grown web browser root certificate with India’s Controller of Certification Authorities (CCA) built in. According to the published information:
“The proposed browser will also focus on accessibility and user-friendliness, ensuring built-in support for individuals with different abilities.”
The announcement includes the ability to digitally sign documents using a cryptographic token that will be embedded in the browser.
The competition is divided into three rounds: the first round is limited to 18 participants; the second round is limited to 18 participants. After the second round, participants will be limited to eight and the winner will receive approximately INR 34 million (US$411,000).
Related: India’s Supreme Court Blames Federal Government for Delay in Crypto Rules.Report
In recent months, the Indian government has been aggressively working on regulation, especially when it comes to technology and cryptocurrencies. While chairing an intergovernmental forum of the world’s 20 largest economies, known as the G20, it supported the Financial Stability Board’s recommendations for a global cryptocurrency framework and called for a special focus on developing economies in potential cryptocurrency guidelines.
In August, India’s lower house of parliament approved a bill to ease data compliance regulations for big tech companies. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 will simplify storage, processing and transmission standards for global tech giants such as Google, Meta and Microsoft, as well as local companies.
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