Aadhaar Project
India has a population of 1.2 billion people and approximately 400 million people are unable to prove their identity (in 2011)... The inability to prove one’s identity precludes the poor, the marginalized, and the underprivileged populations of India from gaining access to benefits and subsidies, applying for welfare benefits, accessing education, opening a bank account, or attaining employment.
The goal of Indian government officials in implementing a broad identification system is to successfully address the concerns of national security, corruption, and anti-poverty efforts. There have been many documented cases of fake identities, fraud, and duplication of welfare services across the country… In order to improve the economic situation of all of its residents, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) implemented an ambitious and innovative program known as Aadhaar.
Key stakeholders involved
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), The Planning Commission of India, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Enrollment agencies, Authentication user agencies
Geography: India
Sources: Chin et al., 2015; Aadhaar Dashboard, accessed 2022; Perlstein, 2017.
6 Barriers Addressed
Most Relevant Segments
- 01. Excluded, marginalized
- 02. Excluded, high potential
- 03. Included, underserved
- 04. Included, not underserved
Most Relevant Customer Journey Phases
- Phase 1: Account Ownership
- Phase 2: Basic Account Usage
- Phase 3: Active Account Usage
- Phase 4: Economic Empowerment
Key Activities
Enrollment is free and occurs through duly designated third-party enrollment agencies. To become an official enrollment agency, an organization is required to go through proper training and testing on procedures and use of the enrollment kit. Each kit is packed into a briefcase and includes the following: a laptop, the enrollment software, fingerprint reader, iris scanner, webcam, laser printer, and monitor. Participation in Aadhaar is voluntary for all residents. Crucially, it enables eKYC – a function which greatly enhances the efficiency of the KYC process and fosters financial inclusion. To enroll, residents can go to any authorized enrollment agency, complete an Aadhaar application form, and present current identification documents. If an enrollee does not have identification documents, they can still enroll with the help of an “introducer” – a person whose identity has already been verified. The “introducer” vouches for the enrollee, sidestepping the requirements for identification documents. The enrollee will then have their biometric data recorded and is entered into the database. The assigned Aadhaar number for an individual is connected to all biometric data collected during the enrollment process. A trained enrollment center employee photographs the enrollee, records the iris scans of the eyes, collects demographic information, and takes imprints of all 10 fingers. Each enrollee’s data is then uploaded to the Central Identification Data Repository (CIDR) for deduplication. The term “deduplication” refers to the process where the CIDR checks to determine whether or not the biometric data submitted already exists in the database. If no equivalent record exists, then a unique, randomly generated 12-digit number will be mailed to the enrollee.
Outcomes/results
- According to the UIDAI’s Aadhaar Dashboard, 1,331,920,291 Aadhaar numbers have been generated as of April of 2022. Additionally, 622,578,411 Aadhaar have been updated, and 70,711,414,709 authentication transactions have been completed.
- There 1,307,544 certified supervisors and operators, 888 active enrollment agencies, and 237 Authentication User Agencies.
“One of the reasons why India’s program has been able to operate on such a large scale is the formation of public-private partnerships throughout the country.”
