Our Purpose
Project SUTRA , or Shared and Unified Trust Registry Architecture, is committed to advancing the quality, reliability, and adaptability of registry systems that underpin governance, rights, and public service delivery. Registries provide the formal record for ownership, eligibility, identity, institutional memory, and entitlements. As government and service delivery become more reliant on digital infrastructure, SUTRA exists to ensure that registries are not only robust and trustworthy but also able to evolve with society’s needs.
Why SUTRA Matters
Traditional registries are often fragmented, inconsistent, or unable to support new forms of digital engagement. Incomplete or unreliable records undermine transparency, inclusion, and institutional memory, impeding effective administration and public trust. The emergence of complex digital systems further underscores the need for standardised frameworks and guidelines. SUTRA was formed to fill this gap. We are a collaborative architecture, not a central platform or database. Our goal is to guide the structuring and governance of registries so that diverse systems remain interoperable and future-ready, while respecting the distinct legal and institutional realities of each sector.
Our Approach
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Verifiability
Registries must offer transparent, auditable records that meet both administrative and legal standards.
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Interoperability
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Systems should support structured, secure exchange of information across departments, jurisdictions, and platforms.
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Modularity
Registries should be designed with composable, flexible components for easier scaling and adaptation.
04
Contextual Integrity
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Architecture must respect legal frameworks, institutional responsibilities, and sector-specific requirements.
05
Extensibility
Registry systems must be able to integrate future innovations without compromising current trust or functionality.
By adhering to these principles, SUTRA supports a layered, inclusive approach that brings together public and private institutions, standards bodies, and civil society. Our capacity-building programmes, peer learning forums, and sectoral working groups ensure that practical implementation matches strategic intent.
Meet Our Advisory Board
Dr. Arvind Gupta
Co-founder and Head, Digital India Foundation
Mr Bhupendra Chaubey
Editor-in-Chief, Squirrels.in
What We Do
Project SUTRA develops and promotes a coherent framework for trust registries across institutions, sectors, and geographies. Our activities include:
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Creating guidelines and reference models for verifiability, data integrity, and interoperability.
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Facilitating cooperation and consensus-building on legal, technical, and semantic standards for registry governance.
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Supporting the adoption of modular, composable designs, enabling registries to scale, adapt, and integrate new technologies such as decentralised identifiers, cryptographic attestations, and programmable records.
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Providing technical assistance and advisory services to public institutions, standards bodies, and domain experts engaged in registry transformation.
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Conducting applied research and convening consultative roundtables, workshops, and pilot projects to validate and improve registry models.
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Building knowledge resources, such as toolkits, training programmes, and documentation, to support continuous learning and capacity-building among stakeholders.
Programme Management Unit
The Digital India Foundation (DIF) underpins SUTRA’s operational and knowledge functions. DIF offers deep expertise in digital public infrastructure and multi-stakeholder engagement. Its core responsibilities include technical and architectural advisory, research curation, operational support, convenings, and strategic planning for registry governance. DIF is also responsible for maintaining the consortium’s institutional memory, including archives, working group records, and artefact repositories.