Aadhar face authentication: Multiple apps not needed any more for banking, broking, insurance services

Face authentication for opening accounts with banks and financial services firms will not require downloading multiple apps. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) today launched the Aadhaar Face Authentication Software Development Kit (SDK) and Aadhaar Face Authentication Sandbox at the Global Fintech Fest 2026.

The move will enable the banking and financial services ecosystem to integrate, test and deploy Aadhaar Face authentication more seamlessly within their own digital applications, thereby doing away the need to download additional applications for face authentication.

How will the system work?

“It simplifies the journey. The user downloads only one app, say a banking/ insurance/ broking app and does Aadhaar authentication from within the app,” said a release from the ministry of electronics and information technology in a release short while back.

“Earlier, for a similar experience, a background app called FaceRD app was needed. This made the user onboarding journey longer and dependent on the presence of the Aadhaar FaceRD app. With this launch, it reduces the need for multiple apps for Aadhaar Face Authentication,” it added.

“The launch of the SDK and Sandbox fulfills a long-standing demand of the fintech and banking ecosystem to build a seamless, and secure user onboarding journey from within the user bank/fintech organisation’s mobile application,” it said.

How is UIDAI using AI-ML driven face recognition?

According to the data from the government, UIDAI’s indigenously engineered AI/ML-driven Face Authentication solution, which was launched in 2021, has processed over 500 crore transactions and been adopted by nearly 200 entities, including union government ministries and departments, state governments, banks, NBFCs, telecom operators, brokerage firms and certifying authorities among others.

“Face Authentication is widely used across services like submission of digital life certificate (Jeevan Pramaan) by pensioners, Ayushman Bharat beneficiary onboarding, DBT schemes, Aadhaar-enabled payments, SIM activation through e-KYC, beneficiary authentication for schemes like PM e-Drive, PM Awas Yojana and PM Kisan etc,” the release said.

UIDAI also unveiled a “Playbook on ease of Onboarding” which will work as a guide for BFSI entities to get onboarded in the UIDAI authentication ecosystem for ID verification of its customers, staff, and other business partners.