Aadhaar app tops 40M downloads as India embraces digital-first identity

India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT says the Aadhaar digital ID application has been downloaded more than 40 million times, a move attributed to a growing desire by citizens to have digital-first identity services. There were over 31 million downloads as of last month.

According to a news release from the ministry, the adoption of the app shows that it is being embraced as “a one-stop digital platform for accessing a wide range of Aadhaar related services, including address update from the comfort of home, mobile number update, email update, biometric lock/unlock and e-Aadhaar download.”

Per figures from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Aadhaar users have completed 1.16 million address updates, 4.9 million mobile number updates, as well as the addition or update of 1.25 million email addresses since the service was introduced at the start of this month. The email service, which is paid, has now been made free of charge for all users till December 31.

UIDAI believes another factor driving the app’s adoption is probably its security and privacy feature, which has seen 19.1 million biometric lock or unlock actions so far.

The Aadhaar app was launched in January as part of efforts by the UIDAI to streamline access to identity services by curbing the need for users to visit physical ID centres for services that could otherwise be easily completed without any displacement. It is designed to make it possible for users to have “a convenient and privacy-first way to show, share and verify their identity and it is playing an important role in further improving ease of living.”

Across the world now, countries are increasingly going for mobile-first digital identity management options which are more dynamic and user-controlled.

The Aadhaar is the biggest digital ID system in the world with over 1.3 billion users and is the foundation of India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) Stack, which has become a model for many countries around the world. The app is in consonance with objectives of the Digital India Mission, which includes creating a national digital trust framework that will not only shape the country’s DPI Stack implementation but also drive digital economy growth.

An opinion published by Economic Times restates the importance of a national digital trust framework as India continues its digital transformation journey.

The writer notes that citizens currently spend enormous effort re-proving facts across different institutions, but a National Digital Trust Framework would allow institutions to rely on verified data created by other lawful institutions, which would go a long way in reducing duplication and fraud.

Digitizing institutional trust would mean that users are not required to re-create trust each time they engage in digital transactions.

Article Topics

Aadhaar  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  digital identity  |  India  |  mobile app  |  UIDAI