Experts Discuss the Potential of Digital Platforms in Global Majority Countries

On November 11, 2025, the National Centre RUSSIA hosted an expert session titled “Digital Platforms as Drivers of the New Economy” as part of the Platform Economy Day. The TRIM Center served as the event's knowledge partner.

The discussion brought together experts from India, China, Rwanda, and Russia. The session was moderated by Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office.

Setting the stage for the discussion, Maxim Oreshkin noted:

“Platformization is one of the main technological trends reshaping the economic landscape. Humanity is steadily moving toward automation. While the Industrial Revolution automated our relationship with nature, digital platforms now automate human-to-human interactions—that is, the work of institutions. In this way, digital platforms are becoming a new class of organizers of economic activity, accelerating and improving the efficiency of economic transactions.”

Participants representing Russia's leading digital platforms shared their views on the current state of platform adoption across industries and the prospects for future growth. Tatyana Kim, Head of RWB, emphasized the role that commercial marketplaces already play in the Russian economy and in other countries, highlighting how digital platforms increase trust in economic transactions. Tigran Khudaverdyan of Yandex noted that not all markets are equally easy to platformize, and that in markets with low platform penetration, the development of AI becomes a critical success factor.

The social sector is gradually catching up with other industries in terms of platformization. According to Anastasiya Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development, in countries where the state plays a key role in social services, political will is the main driver of platform adoption. Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Chief Digital Advisor at the Africa CDC, expressed hope that digital platforms could allow African countries to “leapfrog” several stages of technological development.

The growth and scaling of digital platforms depend on robust digital infrastructure and effective government policies to stimulate platform development. Fan Jian, Chief Scientist of Big Data at China Unicom Group, noted that a key feature of digital infrastructure for platforms is its rapid scalability in response to user growth. Meanwhile, Shanta Tutam, former Chief Innovation Officer of the Government of Telangana (India), stressed that governments need a strategic vision and should support platform growth through innovation cultivation, debureaucratization, and the creation of conditions for competitive development.

The session will inform a policy paper summarizing the key insights from the discussion. The brief will contribute to preparations for the 2nd Open Dialogue in 2026.