India’s Web3 Moment
The Challenge
Without a national blockchain architecture:
Siloed Evolution
DPI blockchains will evolve in silos, preventing interoperability and creating redundant systems.
Increased Complexity
Costs and complexity will multiply as each system develops independently without shared standards.
Interoperability Issues
Interoperability and auditability will suffer, making it difficult to create seamless cross-sector services.
Global Leadership
SETU enables India to lead globally in democratic, privacy-preserving digital trust.
Why Now

DPDP Act
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 mandates consent-first data sharing, requiring new infrastructure for privacy-preserving data exchange.

CBDC Pilots
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilots need programmable trust rails to enable secure, transparent, and efficient digital currency systems.

AI Security Risks
AI increases identity and document fraud risks, necessitating stronger verification and trust mechanisms.

Global Competition
Global peers (EU, China, and the UAE) are moving fast, making it imperative for India to establish its leadership position.
The Proposed SETU Initiative
National Architecture Approach
Establishes a national architecture approach for the secure and efficient management of an evolving network of localised, bespoke, blockchain networks.
Decentralised Trust Anchor
Delivers a decentralised trust anchor for identity, value transfer, user empowerment & cross-network interoperability.
Co-creation Framework
Enables co-creation with industry, academia and government across prioritised sectors of Digital India (including NBF) through leveraging the trust anchor.
SETU Benefits
- Secured Verified Identity
- Consent-based Self-Sovereign Data Empowerment
- Transparency, Portability and Interoperability
- Real-time, Privacy-preserving Compliance Monitoring
- Simplify Integrations (avoids many-to-many bridges)
- Reduce Entry Barriers For Govt. & Industry
- Accelerate Blockchain And dApps Adoption
- Self-Sustaining Operational Service Models
- Future-proofed and enabled for Agentic AI and IOT
- Digitally Inclusive, Accessible, Cross-sector Services
- Privacy-respecting data sharing and simplified KYCs
- More Use Cases & Resilience with broad-based Hosting
- Clear ownership of virtual assets, devices and AI agents
- Cryptographic Sovereignty
- Control over National Infrastructure
- Indigenous Blockchain Capabilities
- Global Competitiveness, Leadership and Readiness
- Encourage experimentation & entrepreneurship
- Growth & Optimisation of Digital India Ecosystem
- Public-Private Collaboration