Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
India
Statutory authority that issues the 12-digit Aadhaar identity number; operator of the world's largest biometric identity system underpinning India's digital public infrastructure.
About
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established by the Government of India to issue and manage Aadhaar, a twelve-digit unique identity number based on biometric and demographic data. It operates under the Aadhaar Act and is associated with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. UIDAI enrols residents, maintains the central identity database, and provides authentication services used by government agencies and private entities for delivery of services, subsidies, and benefits. Aadhaar has become one of the world's largest biometric identification programmes, covering most of India's population. The authority's documented role centres on issuing identity numbers and operating authentication infrastructure; how Aadhaar is used in specific services is determined by the agencies that request authentication.
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