India’s Aadhaar digital ID system took centre stage at Identity Week Europe 2025 as Kapil Jambhulkar took attendees through the timeline of their 12-year digital transformation.
Jambhulkar outlined how Aadhaar has grown into one of the world’s largest digital identity programmes, issuing over 1.4 billion unique ID numbers to Indian residents since its launch. In 2024 alone, the Aadhaar ecosystem enabled 150 billion cumulative transactions.
He recalled that just over a decade ago, the majority of India’s population lacked any form of official identification. That changed in 2010 with the rollout of the Aadhaar e-ID system, the foundational identity infrastructure designed to provide every citizen with a digital identity. By 2016, Aadhaar had been fully integrated into government service delivery.
Despite early concerns over privacy and data security, Jambhulkar noted that legislative reforms in 2018 bolstered the Aadhaar Act.
Aadhaar’s capabilities today span multi-factor authentication, including biometric verification and one-time passwords, enabling seamless e-KYC (Know Your Customer) processes to access essential services.
