New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is set to launch a dedicated Aadhaar authentication portal next week, streamlining the approval process for businesses and government bodies seeking authentication access. The move comes after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Amendment Rules, 2025 on January 31.
Private Sector Gains Access to Aadhaar Authentication
The amendment expands the scope of Aadhaar authentication beyond government services, allowing private players in sectors such as e-commerce, travel, fintech, healthcare, and hospitality to use it for identity verification. UIDAI has issued Aadhaar numbers to 141 crore residents, with over 14,000 crore authentication transactions conducted to date. Currently, 550+ entities, including 230+ in the BFSI sector, use Aadhaar authentication.
How the New Portal Will Work
The new portal will allow businesses and government bodies to apply for Aadhaar authentication access by submitting their use cases to the relevant ministry or department. UIDAI will review applications and provide recommendations, following which MeitY will issue final approvals. Once approved, the respective ministry will notify the entity, granting access to Aadhaar authentication services.
Impact on Digital Services and Security
Speaking at the Bharat FinTech Summit in Mumbai, Manish Bhardwaj, Deputy Director General, UIDAI, highlighted that the expansion of Aadhaar authentication will improve customer verification, reduce fraud, and simplify digital onboarding. He noted that the BFSI sector has already benefited from Aadhaar-based e-KYC and digital banking, and now other industries can integrate it to enhance security and efficiency.
With 90 million Aadhaar authentication transactions taking place daily, UIDAI expects the new system to accelerate digital transformation across multiple sectors, making identity verification faster and more secure.
