New Delhi – The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched a new programme to encourage research and development in technologies used for Aadhaar authentication and digital identity management.
The scheme, called the Scheme for Innovation and Technology Association with Aadhaar (SITAA), is meant to bring together technology firms, academic institutions and researchers to work with UIDAI on improving the reliability and security of Aadhaar-linked systems.
According to officials, the initiative focuses on indigenisation of key identity technologies, such as biometric authentication, data privacy, artificial intelligence and secure application design.
The move is aimed at ensuring that future digital identity systems are both technically robust and compliant with privacy standards.
To operationalise the scheme, UIDAI has signed agreements with the MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) and industry lobbying body National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).
UIDAI collaborates with MeitY Startup Hub and NASSCOM
MSH will manage technical evaluation and incubation, while NASSCOM will coordinate with the technology industry to identify practical applications.
The programme will begin with a pilot phase involving three specific technical challenges — face liveness detection, presentation attack detection and contactless fingerprint authentication.
The first seeks to detect whether a user is physically present during authentication, the second focuses on identifying manipulated or spoofed biometric data and the third aims to develop touchless fingerprint verification using smartphone cameras or low-cost devices.
Applications open until November 15, 2025
Applications for these challenges are open until November 15, 2025, through the MeitY Startup Hub portal. UIDAI will assess proposals based on technical feasibility, scalability and compatibility with Aadhaar systems.
Officials said the initiative aligns with the government’s efforts under Digital Public Infrastructure and Atmanirbhar Bharat to strengthen India’s domestic capability in core digital technologies.
Aadhaar is used widely for identity verification across welfare delivery, telecom and financial services.
UIDAI said the SITAA initiative will help test new technologies that can enhance the accuracy and privacy of authentication processes as digital transactions continue to expand across sectors.
