How Protean eGov is Powering India’s API-Led Digital Revolution

India's digital transformation journey has reached a pivotal point with APIs acting as the backbone of modern enterprise architecture. As companies seek seamless integrations and scalable digital infrastructures, Protean eGov Technologies has introduced a gamechanger: RISE with Protean. In this exclusive interview with SMEStreet, Mr. Bertram D’Souza, Chief Product & Innovation Officer at Protean eGov Technologies Ltd., elaborates on the rapidly evolving API landscape, challenges facing the sector, and how RISE is empowering enterprises with a unified, developer-friendly marketplace of digital building blocks.

Exclusive Interview with Mr. Bertram D’Souza, Chief Product & Innovation Officer, Protean eGov Technologies Ltd.

SMEStreet

Q1: Give us a broad overview of the current API landscape in India, especially for SMEs.

Bertram D’Souza:
The API landscape in India has grown significantly in recent years, largely due to digital transformation efforts, an innovative startup ecosystem, and progressive government policies. APIs are crucial for enabling seamless integration across cloud services, mobile apps, and BAAS/SAAS platforms. According to IMARC, the API market is expected to reach USD 34.42 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 8.20%.

SMEs, in particular, stand to benefit from this shift as they embrace MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless) architectures to build modular, scalable applications. The demand for interoperability, agility, and secure data exchange continues to drive this trend across India and beyond.

Q2: What are some of the key challenges currently faced in the API space?

Bertram D’Souza:
Despite the promising growth, there are several obstacles. A McKinsey Digital survey highlights collaboration as a primary challenge — especially aligning business and tech priorities. Other issues include:

• Broken discovery processes
  

• Pricing friction
  

• Poor uptime and service outages
  

• Security vulnerabilities
  

• Financial and operational risks
  

• Technical complexity
  These challenges deter businesses from fully adopting APIs and slow down digital transformation initiatives.

Q3: What is RISE with Protean, and how does it address these challenges?

Bertram D’Souza:
RISE with Protean is India’s first multisector API marketplace, offering over 300+ digital building blocks including APIs, microservices, and plug-and-play user journeys. The platform solves key pain points by acting as a single window for discovery, procurement, integration, and support.

We’ve taken a developer-centric approach — offering APIs in 8 programming languages, transparent pricing, high uptime with fallback mechanisms, and features like sandboxing for rapid testing. It’s designed for both large enterprises and SMEs, helping them reduce costs, enhance operational efficiency, and accelerate go-to-market efforts

Q4: What growth potential do you see for RISE with Protean in the current market?

Bertram D’Souza:
Globally, the API marketplace is expected to grow to USD 18 billion in 2024 and reach even greater heights by 2030 at a CAGR of 18.9%. India’s IT sector alone is projected to hit $300 billion in the near future, which opens vast opportunities for platforms like RISE.

Additionally, with the introduction of India’s DPDP Act and upcoming guidelines around consent and data privacy, platforms that offer built-in compliance and secure data exchange — like RISE — will become critical assets.

Q5: What kinds of services are available on RISE with Protean?

Bertram D’Souza:
RISE offers services for a variety of industries such as:

• Banking
  

• Insurance
  

• Capital Markets
  

• Payments
  

• Logistics & E-Commerce
  

• Lending & Merchant Onboarding
  

• Gaming
  And we’re expanding into more sectors. The goal is to make RISE a one-stop destination for all digital building blocks that businesses need to create world-class digital solutions.

Q6: How does your solution improve business efficiency and agility?

Bertram D’Souza:
RISEwithProtean is built for ease of use, speed, and scalability. Key benefits include:

• Pre-built APIs & microservices: Speeds up development and helps teams focus on unique features.
  

• Plug-and-play user journeys: Enables fast go-to-market.
  

• Open standards integration: Simplifies tech adoption and eliminates complex coding.
  

• Sandboxing environment: Helps test and simulate APIs before deployment.
  

• Modular architecture: Businesses can scale incrementally based on needs.
  

• Process automation: Frees up resources and reduces costs by automating repetitive tasks.
  

All of this empowers businesses to innovate faster, scale efficiently, and reduce operational friction.

Q7: How would you define modern API management?

Bertram D’Souza:
Modern API management involves the end-to-end process of designing, publishing, securing, monitoring, and analyzing APIs in a scalable and secure way. It ensures:

• Centralized control
  

• Secure access
  

• High performance
  

• Seamless integration with cloud, on-prem, or hybrid environments
  

In today’s fast-paced digital ecosystem, such capabilities are no longer optional—they’re essential.

Q8: What trends are currently shaping the API management landscape?

Bertram D’Souza:
Some of the top trends we’re seeing include:

• API-First & MACH Architecture: Design-first APIs are driving composable systems.
  

• AI & Automation: AI helps optimize API performance and improve developer experience.
  

• Zero Trust Security: Every API call is verified, with enhanced monitoring and real-time threat detection.
  

• Hybrid & Multi-Cloud API Management: Businesses are avoiding vendor lock-in.
  

• Compliance & Governance: Regulatory frameworks like GDPR, CCPA, and India’s DPDP Act are guiding API strategy.
  

• Green API Development: Focus on energy-efficient and optimized APIs for sustainability.
  As AI, cloud, and compliance evolve, businesses investing in intelligent API ecosystems will be the ones leading the future.