From Nandurbar to the world: UIDAI eyes ‘Aadhaar international’

Saurabh Vijay, chief executive officer of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), during the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. | Photo Credit: Bloomberg/DHIRAJ SINGH

When the first Aadhaar was generated in 2010 in Maharashtra’s tribal Nandurbar district, few could have imagined that the identity system would eventually clock more than 185 billion authentications and touch virtually every aspect of the economy. Now, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is looking to take the Aadhaar journey a step further — exploring how the infrastructure can be made “international” for Indians living overseas, including NRIs and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs).

UIDAI CEO Saurabh Vijay, speaking at the Global Fintech Fest 2026 on Thursday, said the authority is working on proof-of-concepts (PoCs), including one in the Middle East, to test the interoperability of Aadhaar infrastructure beyond India. Vijay said the focus now is on making Aadhaar international and improving its interoperability with systems in other countries. The legal framework is also being developed in that direction, with UIDAI working on policies that could allow OCIs to benefit from the Aadhaar ecosystem and potentially help bring more investment into India.

“I think for Aadhaar, the focus now is making Aadhaar international. We really want to work on the interoperability part of it -- how to make it more possible. So already some PoCs (proof of concept) are happening. “Our legal framework is also going (in that direction) to make Aadhaar international. We are working on policies to make it (available) for overseas citizens of India (OCIs) so that it brings in more investment,” he said.

The move comes as increasing numbers of Indians live, study and work overseas while continuing to maintain financial and other links with India. Vijay said UIDAI needs to build a security layer, backed by both technology and policy, to enable overseas Indians to update details such as bank accounts and addresses and continue accessing services seamlessly. UIDAI is currently testing these use cases through PoCs and plans to consider a wider rollout once the technology and processes are sufficiently tested. The framework could also help NRIs and OCIs access services more easily and potentially facilitate greater investment into India.

The internationalisation push also comes against the backdrop of India’s wider digital public infrastructure gaining traction globally. Vijay said the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched three products at the Global Fintech Fest, and some of these could eventually have international applications. UIDAI works closely with NPCI, including on authentication for financial transactions.

“The journey began in Maharashtra. In 2010, when the first Aadhar was generated in the tribal district of Nandurbar today we could not have imagined the scale at which we have reached in terms of authentication which is more than 185 billion. The numbers we have reached, the sectors and sub sectors we have touched, the lives we have touched.. What surpirses me the most that we have touched every aspect of the economy,” the UIDAI CEO added.

As UIDAI looks at expanding the reach of its infrastructure, privacy and security remain central to the approach. Vijay said data minimisation and preventing profiling are key principles, while data should not be shared unnecessarily. “Privacy is always in the forefront for every new development that takes place,” he said, adding that UIDAI keeps a trail of its processes to strengthen accountability and trust.

Vijay also stressed that India’s digital identity infrastructure must remain ahead of technological change rather than merely catch up with it. “Infrastructure has to be world class. We should not be seen chasing but should be the first one in the market to adopt new technology,” he said.

Published on September 10, 2026