Budget 2025: Centre announces Bharat Trade Net, a DPI for international trade

DPI

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on February 1 announced that the government will set up a digital public infrastructure (DPI) for trade documentation and financing solutions in international trade.

The DPI platform, Bharat Trade Net (BTN), "..will complement the unified logistics platform. The BTN will be aligned with international practices," Sitharaman said.

This comes after the Economic Survey 2025 on January 31 highlighted the government’s push for DPI, particularly in agriculture, as a key driver of India’s digital transformation.

The Economic Survey positioned digital infrastructure as a critical pillar for economic growth, both domestically and in the Global South.

The survey laid down the broader success of India’s DPI ecosystem—including Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, and ONDC—which has led to transparent governance, reduced subsidy leakages, and produced billion-dollar startups.

It also highlights India’s efforts in exporting DPI models to emerging economies, with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) helping countries like Namibia and Peru establish real-time payment systems.