India

UIDAI onboards 300 offline verification seeking entities

Pioneer News Service

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has onboarded 300 ‘offline verification-seeking entities’, which is expected to reduce the collection of physical Aadhaar copies as ID proof.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said the move marks a significant step towards expanding the use of Aadhaar-based offline verification across sectors ranging from hotels, hospitality, healthcare, education, events, gig economy, and consumer-facing players.

“Complementing growing adoption of Aadhaar App among residents, UIDAI has onboarded 300 Offline Verification Seeking Entities (OVSEs), since its rollout in January,” UIDAI said.

Several entities keep a photocopy of Aadhaar in their record as proof of verification, which is not permitted under the Aadhaar Act. UIDAI said that the milestone marks a major advancement in enabling secure, consent-based, and paperless verification through Aadhaar offline verification mechanism —empowering both service providers and residents, alike.

“The onboarding of these OVSE partners reflects growing confidence in Aadhaar-enabled, privacy-first digital verification frameworks that prioritise user control while ensuring ease of access and data minimisation in alignment with provisions of the DPDP Act,” the statement said.