On March 22, a meeting of working groups dedicated to advancing the national Data Economy initiative took place at the Ministry of Digital Development. A Forbes-related article notes that the discussion centered on strategic procurement and the role of digital infrastructure in government modernization. The gathering brought together policymakers, industry representatives, and experts who are closely watching how data-driven systems will reshape public services and the broader economy in the near term.
One of the focal points discussed was a large-scale purchase financed from budget funds: 1.1 million tablets running the Aurora operating system, planned for a five-year period from 2025 to 2030. The devices were proposed to serve the needs of four key ministries, namely Education, Health, Internal Affairs, and Emergencies. This scale of procurement signals an ambition to standardize digital tools across essential public sectors, potentially enabling more seamless data sharing, unified software ecosystems, and easier maintenance and security updates across agencies.
Representatives from domestic manufacturers such as KNS Group (part of IKS Holding), Bayterg, Aquarius, and Fplus (formerly Marvel) participated in the meeting. A source familiar with the event and another interlocutor involved in the national project confirmed the attendance, underscoring the importance of local industry participation in shaping the technology backbone of the Data Economy plan.
According to plans discussed at the session, around 50 billion rubles, including ongoing maintenance costs, would be allocated for the Aurora-based tablets intended for teachers and medical personnel. A source close to the Ministry of Digital Development indicated that the purchase would be distributed among several manufacturers, reflecting a strategy to diversify suppliers and spur competition while ensuring security and supply resilience across the public sector.
Forbes’ interlocutor noted that the article in question is tied to the federal project Data Transmission Systems and Networks, which forms a component of the broader national Data Economy program. A separate confirmation came from a source within a major telecommunications company, lending independent corroboration to the overall direction of the initiative and its embedded federal priorities.
Earlier discussions included the appearance of data on the number of smartphones deployed on the Russian Aurora OS, illustrating the government’s ongoing interest in assessing adoption levels and the practical reach of a domestically developed software stack across devices used by citizens and public servants alike. [Citation: Forbes] [Citation: telecommunications industry source]