Digital India

DPI Brief — April 20, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication Aadhaar Pre-Installation Mandate Dropped After Industry Pushback In a significant policy reversal, the Indian government has decided not to mandate pre-installation of the Aadhaar authentication app on smartphones. UIDAI had proposed in January 2026 that Apple, Samsung, Google, and other major smartphone manufacturers pre-install the Aadhaar app on devices sold in India. Following pushback from the smartphone industry, MeitY reviewed the proposal and UIDAI stated it is “not in favour of mandating the pre-installation of the Aadhaar App on smartphones.” The move signals continued tension between identity verification ambitions and device ecosystem concerns. 1 ...

DPI Weekly Deep Dive — UPI Record & New Rules | Week of April 13-19, 2026 Executive Summary India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) achieved an unprecedented milestone in March 2026, processing 22.64 billion transactions valued at ₹29.53 lakh crore—the highest monthly volume and value in the system’s decade-long history. This landmark achievement, representing 24% year-on-year growth in volume and 19% in value, underscores UPI’s position as the backbone of India’s digital payments ecosystem and the world’s largest real-time payment platform. 1 2 ...

DPI Brief — April 18, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication India Drops Aadhaar Smartphone Pre-Installation Mandate After Pushback In a significant policy reversal, India’s government has decided not to mandate pre-installation of the Aadhaar biometric identification app on smartphones. UIDAI confirmed on April 17 that the IT ministry reviewed the proposal—originally floated in January requesting Apple, Google, Samsung, and other manufacturers to consider mandatory Aadhaar app installation—and is “not in favour of mandating the pre-installation of the Aadhaar App on smartphones.” The decision comes after major pushback from smartphone manufacturers concerned about regulatory compliance and user privacy implications. This marks a retreat from what could have been a sweeping expansion of Aadhaar’s presence on mobile devices. 1 ...

DPI Brief — April 16, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication UIDAI Updates Aadhaar Authentication Documentation (April 10, 2026) UIDAI updated multiple pages on its official website on April 10, 2026, including clarifications on using Aadhaar as proof of date of birth. The authority reaffirmed that Aadhaar number holders can view their authentication history through the myAadhaar dashboard. UIDAI also reminded residents that mandatory biometric updates must be performed at Aadhaar Enrolment Centres — this applies to residents whose biometrics were flagged during authentication failures. The authentication ecosystem continues to see steady usage across banking, telecom, and government service delivery. 1 ...

DPI Brief — April 15, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication Census 2027 Digital Self-Enumeration Crosses 5.72 Lakh Households India’s first fully digital census has seen over 5.72 lakh households opt for self-enumeration through the online portal as of April 10, 2026. 1 The initiative, a first in Indian census history, allows citizens in select states and union territories to fill in their details digitally and receive a special Houselisting ID. The digital approach marks a significant shift from paper-based enumeration. ...

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. ...

DPI Weekly Deep Dive — RBI’s 2FA Mandate Reshapes Digital Payments | Week of April 6-12, 2026 Executive Summary India’s digital payments landscape underwent its most significant security transformation since UPI’s launch on April 1, 2026. The Reserve Bank of India’s Authentication Mechanisms for Digital Payment Transactions Directions, 2025 came into full effect, mandating two-factor authentication (2FA) for all domestic digital payments. This regulatory overhaul moves beyond the prevalent SMS-based OTP model to embrace biometrics, device binding, hardware tokens, and risk-based authentication—representing a fundamental shift in how 200+ billion annual digital transactions are secured.1 ...

DPI Brief — April 09, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication Census 2027 Digital Self-Enumeration Portal Opens April 16 India’s first fully digital Census moves forward with the self-enumeration portal set to open on April 16, 2026. Citizens can securely fill household details online via se.census.gov.in during a 15-day window before house-to-house enumeration begins. Senior officials including Principal Secretary to PM PK Mishra have already completed their self-enumeration, setting an example for national participation. Phase I (houselistng) begins April 2026, with Phase II (demographic details) scheduled for February 2027. The digital-first approach marks a significant milestone in modernizing India’s statistical infrastructure. ...

DPI Brief — April 07, 2026 India’s Digital Public Infrastructure ecosystem saw notable movement this week across payments authentication, agricultural modernisation, and cybersecurity — though much of the week’s news was dominated by non-DPI events. Here’s a layered snapshot of what matters. Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication Aadhaar website quietly updated its FAQ pages on 2 April, clarifying that Aadhaar should not be shared on public platforms. UIDAI also updated its contact and Aadhaar online services pages. No new policy changes — the updates appear to be routine content maintenance reinforcing existing guidance around Aadhaar misuse. ...

DPI Brief — April 05, 2026 Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers) L1: Identity & Authentication Census 2027 Kicks Off with Digital Self-Enumeration India’s Census 2027 has officially begun with a landmark digital self-enumeration facility. Union Home Minister Amit Shah completed the self-enumeration form, marking the start of the first phase (House Listing) running from April to September 2026. Citizens can submit their household details online via the dedicated portal se.census.gov.in during a 15-day window before door-to-door enumeration begins. This marks the first fully digital census in India’s history, potentially intersecting with Aadhaar-based identity verification infrastructure. 1 ...