New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Wednesday launched the Aadhaar Face Authentication SDK (Software Development Kit) and Aadhaar Face Authentication Sandbox at Global Fintech Fest 2026, allowing banks, fintechs and other ecosystem partners to integrate and test Aadhaar-based face authentication directly within their digital applications.
The new tools are aimed at simplifying user onboarding by reducing the need to switch between multiple applications while completing Aadhaar Face Authentication.
Face Authentication Comes Directly Into Native Apps
The Aadhaar Face Authentication SDK enables UIDAI’s face authentication capability to be integrated directly into Android and iOS applications.
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This means users can complete Aadhaar Face Authentication within the banking, insurance, broking or other service application they are already using, instead of being required to switch to a separate application.
Key features of the SDK include:
- AI/ML-based liveness and anti-spoofing capabilities
- Secure handling and encryption of authentication data
- Support for consumer smartphones
- Ready-to-use integration for ecosystem partners
- Compatibility with native Android and iOS applications
UIDAI said the SDK is expected to help government departments, banks, fintech companies and other organisations deploy Face Authentication-enabled services more efficiently.
Sandbox Allows Testing Before Production
Alongside the SDK, UIDAI launched the Aadhaar Face Authentication Sandbox, providing organisations with a controlled environment to integrate, test and validate the complete authentication journey before moving to production.
Developers and quality assurance teams can test:
- User provisioning and consent
- Face capture
- Liveness checks
- Authentication
- Error handling
- Response validation
- Failure scenarios such as network interruptions and timeouts
- Invalid digital signatures and spoofing attempts
The testing environment does not require external biometric hardware.
One-App Authentication to Simplify User Journey
UIDAI said the new system addresses a long-standing requirement of the banking and fintech ecosystem for a smoother authentication and onboarding experience.
Earlier, users completing Aadhaar Face Authentication through a banking or fintech application could also need the separate FaceRD app running in the background.
With the SDK integrated into the service provider’s own application, the authentication process can instead be completed within that single app.
Aadhaar Face Authentication Crosses 500 Crore Transactions
UIDAI’s indigenous AI/ML-driven Face Authentication technology, launched in 2021, has processed more than 500 crore transactions and has been adopted by nearly 200 entities.
These include:
- Union Government ministries and departments
- State Governments
- Banks and NBFCs
- Telecom operators
- Brokerage firms
- Certifying authorities
The technology received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2023 in the Innovation category.
Used Across Government and Financial Services
Aadhaar Face Authentication is currently used across several citizen-facing and financial services, including:
- Digital Life Certificate submission through Jeevan Pramaan
- Ayushman Bharat beneficiary onboarding
- Direct Benefit Transfer schemes
- Aadhaar-enabled payments
- SIM activation through e-KYC
- PM e-Drive beneficiary authentication
- PM Awas Yojana
- PM-Kisan
- Other government welfare schemes
UIDAI Unveils BFSI Onboarding Playbook
UIDAI also unveiled a “Playbook on Ease of Onboarding” at the event.
The guide is intended to help banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) entities understand the process for joining the UIDAI authentication ecosystem and using Aadhaar for identity verification of customers, employees and other business partners.
The SDK, Sandbox and onboarding playbook together are expected to make it easier for organisations to develop, test and deploy Aadhaar-based authentication services while providing users with a more streamlined digital experience.
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