UIDAI Charts Global Course for Aadhaar, Eyes Easier Access for NRIs and OCIs

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is preparing to extend Aadhaar's reach beyond Indian borders, with a focus on making the platform usable for non-resident Indians and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs).

Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest 2026, UIDAI CEO Saurabh Vijay said the priority now is to make Aadhaar international. He said the authority wants to work on interoperability and that some proof-of-concept exercises are already under way. The legal framework is also moving in that direction, he added, with policies being developed to make Aadhaar available to OCI cardholders in a bid to draw in more investment.

Current enrolment rules

For NRIs holding a valid Indian passport, the process is relatively open. The usual 182-day residency requirement is waived, allowing them to apply soon after arrival. However, there is no online route — applicants must visit an authorised Aadhaar Enrolment Centre in India for biometric verification.

OCI cardholders face stricter conditions. Treated as resident foreign nationals for Aadhaar purposes, they must have lived in India for at least 182 days in the 12 months before applying. Eligible applicants must present a valid OCI card, foreign passport and proof of an Indian address during in-person enrolment.

AI as a fraud shield

UIDAI Chairman Neelkanth Mishra said the authority is deploying Artificial Intelligence extensively to detect and counter fraud, describing the effort as a cat-and-mouse game in which both fraudsters and the authority keep getting smarter. He noted that liveness tests for face and thumbprints were in place well before AI became a buzzword.

Mishra also pointed to a sharp rise in Aadhaar usage, with daily authentications climbing from roughly seven crore to about 10 crore. The authority is readying its systems to handle 25-30 crore authentications a day, he said.