The platform aims to address the following challenges in implementing the Open API Policy:

• Lack of API availability
• Proprietary standards and protocols
• Absence of common data standards
• Lack of overarching governance structure across departments, common policy, control, accounting and monitoring for APIs

Objectives:

• Facilitate implementation of Open API Policy
• To build an open and interoperable digital platform to enable seamless service delivery across government silos
• To enable quick and transparent software integration with other e-Governance applications and systems.
• To promote 'API first' approach, enabling an ecosystem of value-added services and related cost savings
• To enable and promote safe and reliable sharing of information and data across various e-Governance applications and systems.
• Promote innovation through the availability of data from e-Governance applications and systems to the industry and public.
• Provide guidance to Government departments in developing, publishing and consuming these APIs

Open API Characteristics:

The APIs should have following characteristics:

• The relevant information being provided by all Government organizations through their respective e-Governance applications shall be open and machine readable.
• All the relevant information and data of a Government organization shall be made available by Open APIs, as per the classification given in the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP-2012), so that the public can access information and data.
• All Open APIs built and data provided, shall adhere to National Cyber Security Policy.
• The Government organizations shall make sure that the Open APIs are stable and scalable.
• All the relevant information, data and functionalities within an e- Governance application or system of a Government organization shall be made available to other e-Governance applications and systems through Open APIs which should be platform and language independent.
• A Government organization consuming the data and information from other e-Governance applications and systems using Open APIs shall undertake information handling, authentication and authorization through a process as defined by the API publishing Organization.
• Each published API of a Government organization shall be provided free of charge whenever possible to other Government organizations and public.
• Data sharing via each published API shall be governed by Consent Management Framework.
• Each published API shall be properly documented with sample code and sufficient information for developers to make use of the API.
• The life-cycle of the Open API shall be made available by the API publishing Government organization. The API shall be backward compatible with at least two earlier versions.
• All Open API systems built and data provided shall adhere to GoI security policies and guidelines.
• Government organizations may use an authentication mechanism to enable service interoperability and single sign-on.

Central and State Government Departments are already available on the API Setu platform and provides access to thousand of APIs for various data points such as Driving License, Vehicle Registration, PAN, CBSE, e-District in MeitY’s DigiLocker.

We aim to bring all these APIs under API Setu and make them available for consumption by the Government departments and the industry. Creating an ecosystem of these APIs will act as fuel in driving this transformational journey.