DPI Brief — April 13, 2026
Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers)
L1: Identity & Authentication
UIDAI Partners with MapmyIndia to Map Aadhaar Centres Nationwide
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) signed an agreement with MapmyIndia on 1 April 2026 to display authorised Aadhaar centres on the Mappls App. The partnership, expected to roll out over the next couple of months, will allow users to locate the nearest Aadhaar Seva Kendras (ASKs) and other Aadhaar centres directly through the Mappls platform, filtered by service type such as adult enrolment, child enrolment, or address/mobile updates. UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar said the collaboration would enable “digital mapping of verified Aadhaar Centres across India.” This follows UIDAI’s ongoing push to strengthen the offline verification ecosystem and expand resident-facing digital access points.
Source: UIDAI Press Release | PIB Delhi
L2: Payments & Financial Rails
BHIM App Introduces Biometric Authentication for UPI Payments
NPCI BHIM Services Limited (NBSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NPCI, officially launched biometric authentication for the BHIM Payments App. Available on both iOS and Android, the feature allows users to approve UPI transactions up to ₹5,000 using their smartphone’s built-in fingerprint or facial recognition — reducing reliance on PIN entry while keeping payments tied to the device. The move targets both security and accessibility, particularly for users in rural and semi-urban areas who may find PIN entry cumbersome. NBSL stated the enhancement reinforces the BHIM App’s mission to make digital payments “simple, secure and accessible for every Indian.”
Source: The Fintech Times | NPCI
L3: Documents & Data Exchange
Census 2027 Digital Self-Enumeration Crosses 5.72 Lakh Households
India’s first-ever digital Census (Census 2027) crossed 5.72 lakh households using the self-enumeration option, marking a significant shift from paper-based enumeration. The self-enumeration portal allows citizens to record their own housing and demographic data online during a designated 15-day window. Phase I began April 2026 with housing data collection, while Phase II begins February 2027 for demographic details. Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant publicly completed his household’s self-enumeration, setting a precedent for citizens. The digital-first approach reduces enumeration errors, accelerates data processing, and aligns with the government’s digital governance agenda.
Source: Devdiscourse | UIDAI/Mapppls App PDF
L4: Commerce & Logistics
Quick Commerce Intensifies; ONDC Ecosystem Expands Quietly
India’s quick commerce sector saw major movement this week as Flipkart (Walmart-owned) and Amazon intensified competition against Blinkit, Swiggy, and Zepto, with over 6,000 dark stores now operational across ~125 cities. Flipkart reported 25–30% of its quick commerce orders now coming from small towns, as the battle for last-mile delivery dominance escalates. Meanwhile, Equinix’s opening of its fourth IBX data centre in Mumbai (9 April 2026) underscored the DPI infrastructure underpinning India’s digital economy, with the company noting India is on track to reach US$1 trillion in digital economy size by 2027–2028, “propelled by rapid expansion of digital services and digital public infrastructure platforms such as Aadhaar, UPI, and ONDC.”
Source: TechCrunch | Developing Telecoms
L5: Sectoral Infrastructure
Health, Agriculture, and Justice Layers See Incremental Advances
In the health sector (ABHA), the National Health Authority continues to expand ABHA-linked health records adoption across states, with the platform supporting longitudinal patient records, consent-based data sharing, and integration with government wellness schemes. AgriStack initiatives under the Ministry of Agriculture continue pilot deployments of data-driven farmer registries in select states, though formal rollout timelines remain fluid. In the justice layer, eCourts Phase IV deployment is ongoing, with virtual court hearings now operational across multiple high courts for dispute resolution in civil, criminal, and commercial matters. The DigiPay ecosystem under GeM (Government e-Marketplace) has been processing increased volumes of SME procurement orders as direct digital procurement becomes the default for central government purchases.
(Note: This section will be updated as more sector-specific data becomes available.)
Source: NHA ABHA | National Health Authority | eCourts India
L6: Governance & Grievance
DARPG Focuses on CPGRAMS Integration and Service Delivery Metrics
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) continues to monitor grievance disposal rates through CPGRAMS, with recent data indicating improvement in average resolution timelines across central government ministries. The PRAGATI (Proactive Governance and Timely Implementation) portal, linked to CPGRAMS, has been used in recent high-level reviews involving district collectors. eOffice rollout under the National Centre for e-Governance (NCeG) has now covered over 1,200 offices, digitalising file movement, noting, and approval workflows. The MeitY addendum published 6 April 2026 extended key position contracts up to 25 April 2026, indicating ongoing staffing continuity in digital governance delivery bodies.
Source: DARPG | CPGRAMS | MeitY Addendum
L7: Security, Privacy & Trust
MeitY Extends IT Rules Consultation Deadline to 29 April 2026
In a significant development for India’s digital regulatory landscape, MeitY extended the public consultation deadline for its draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 from 14 April to 29 April 2026. The proposed amendments — published 30 March 2026 — would extend the existing “code of ethics” framework to cover “users who are not publishers” sharing content related to “news and current affairs,” bringing individual social media users, influencers, and independent journalists under regulatory purview. The amendments would also require platforms to comply with government takedown orders to retain “safe harbour” legal immunity. Critics including digital rights activists and the Internet Freedom Foundation have raised concerns about potential overreach and suppression of dissent. MeitY Secretary S Krishnan defended the amendments as necessary to create “a common policy or common framework” for news content governance in the digital age.
TRAI Consults on Direct-to-Device Satellite Spectrum
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released an industry consultation paper on 10 April 2026 to examine whether direct-to-device (D2D) satellite services should operate on existing terrestrial mobile spectrum or on mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum. The paper follows global momentum around satellite-to-smartphone connectivity (SpaceX Starlink, AST SpaceMobile) and the Mobile Satellite Services Association’s push for MSS-based D2D deployment in India. TRAI is seeking input on licensing models, interference management, and device compatibility — all critical for India to participate in the next wave of satellite broadband infrastructure.
Source: MeitY Notice (PDF) | BBC News | Developing Telecoms | TRAI