Fingerprint matching system developed in-house by NADRA reaches market launch

NADRA has launched its domestically-developed automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) as a commercial solution, under the name NADIR, which translates to “unique” in Urdu.

NADIR was announced on Twitter by NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik, and could be offered on the international market to support use cases ranging from civil registration, criminal identification, border control and digital government services. The NADRA homepage cites international work already in Bangladesh, Kenya, Sudan, Nigeria and Fiji.

Malik says the technology behind NADIR is the same as that entered in the Fingerprint Verification Competition (FVC), an ongoing benchmark operated by the Biometric System Laboratory at the University of Bologna in Italy. That evaluation shows an accuracy rate exceeding 99.5 percent, according to another Tweet.

The FVC website shows NADRA results in both the fingerprint verification and fingerprint matching (ISO) categories.

“#NADIR is poised to revolutionize the was #biometric identification is used in civil applications,” Malik says in the Tweet.

ProPakistani reports that the launch is expected to provide funds to fuel the in-house development of similar, presumably meaning biometric, technologies. The paper also suggests that public reception has been positive, with Pakistanis keen for more secure and dependable biometric identification.

“Indigenous development of AFIS is a groundbreaking development not only in the field of civil identification but in the pursuit of nation-building as well,” Malik said during the launch ceremony, as quoted by The Express Tribune. “With its advanced technology, we can now accurately and quickly store the fingerprints and identify individuals for a wide range of purposes as a public good, from immigration to border control to social services.”

The global market for AFIS software has been forecast to reach $68 billion by 2030.

Article Topics

AFIS  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  FVC-onGoing  |  NADRA  |  Pakistan  |  Tariq Malik