Aadhaar Set for Global Expansion for NRIs and OCIs

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UIDAI is working to expand Aadhaar’s digital identity infrastructure internationally.
New policies may allow Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) to benefit from Aadhaar-related services.
UIDAI is also developing Aadhaar Lite to make Aadhaar-based KYC easier for small merchants.

New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is working on plans to take Aadhaar to international platforms, with a focus on enabling Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) to benefit from India’s digital identification infrastructure.

UIDAI CEO Saurabh Vijay shared the plans during a fireside chat at the Global Fintech Fest 2026 on Thursday. He said the organisation wants to strengthen Aadhaar’s infrastructure and make it suitable for wider international use.

The initiative includes work on interoperability, policy changes and proof-of-concept projects aimed at exploring how Aadhaar could function across borders.

Aadhaar International Expansion Plans

Saurabh Vijay said UIDAI is focusing on making Aadhaar more interoperable with systems outside India. According to him, several proof-of-concept projects are already underway.

The authority is also working on changes to its legal and policy framework to support international use of Aadhaar. One area under consideration is making Aadhaar-related services available to Overseas Citizens of India, with the stated aim of supporting greater investment.

The proposed international approach could make India’s digital identity infrastructure more useful to Indians and eligible citizens living outside the country, although the specific policy framework is still being developed.

UIDAI Works on Aadhaar Lite and Digital KYC

Alongside its international plans, UIDAI is developing new ways to make Aadhaar-based authentication easier for smaller businesses.

Vijay said the authority is preparing guidelines that would enable small merchants to use Aadhaar-enabled authentication for Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements.

Aadhaar-based digital KYC has already helped simplify customer onboarding for UIDAI partners, according to Vijay. The authority is now looking at ways to reduce the time and steps involved in the process.

One of the initiatives under development is Aadhaar Lite, which is intended to make the process more seamless. UIDAI said guidelines for the system are expected to be released soon.

Aadhaar and Global Digital Payments

UIDAI is also working closely with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on digital authentication for financial transactions.

Vijay noted that NPCI launched three products at the Global Fintech Fest 2026 and indicated that some of these products could eventually have international applications.