NEXT Biometrics fingerprint readers selected for World Bank project in India

NEXT Biometrics announced today that it has been selected as the supplier of Aadhaar-certified fingerprint readers to the Maharashtra Department Of Agriculture for use in the World Bank-funded Project on Climate Resilient Agriculture (POCRA).

The NB-3023-U-UID fingerprint readers are being used to authenticate farmers participating in POCRA for direct transfer of benefit payments to their respective bank accounts and are sold through NEXT`s distribution partner AqTronics Technologies. Initial volumes and training have been provided.

Maharashtra is the third largest state in India geographically. The POCRA Project is managed by the Government of Maharashtra in partnership with the World Bank and aims to support smallholder farming which is affected by high climate vulnerability. About 5,000 villages in Maharashtra have been selected for this project based on their likelihood to be affected by long-term climate change with the goal to develop and strengthen a climate-resilient value chain. The project is expected to be a best practice model for other states in India to address climate variability, drought and climate change.

“We are very pleased that our certified technology has been selected for the roll-out of yet another Aadhaar-based application,” said Ritu Favre, CEO of NEXT Biometrics. “POCRA is a beacon project. We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the superior performance of our fingerprint technology, grow our footprint and reputation in the Indian market and seize the revenue potential of a steadily growing number of Aadhaar-related projects in India.”

NEXT Biometrics began expanding its India operations last August to support the company’s increased activity in the country. NEXT’s team in India is led by Crossmatch, Safran Morpho and Gemalto veteran Ameya Bhagwat, and also includes Sanjith Sundaram, who spent five years with the Unique Identification Authority of India.

NEXT recently partnered with M-Tech to develop and deploy biometric card solutions for India and its Aadhaar-certified fingerprint sensor module has been selected for use in MobiOcean`s authentication and payments mobile platform for the Indian market.

Last week NEXT Biometrics announced it had raised $18.7M and reported a 34 percent leap in gross margin for 2018.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  fingerprint readers  |  India  |  Next Biometrics  |  World Bank