The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has made a notable move to enhance the Aadhaar ecosystem by entering into a five-year research and development (R&D) partnership with the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). This partnership aims to strengthen the durability, security, and dependability of Aadhaar functionalities via cutting-edge data-centric advancements.

The umbrella agreement, which takes effect immediately and lasts for five years, concentrates on several key aspects, such as fraud and anomaly detection, creation of biometric liveness detection tools, identification of high-risk enrolment and update categories, and enhancements to biometric matching algorithms. Both organizations will further examine additional priority areas as jointly determined to guarantee Aadhaar’s ongoing development as a secure and citizen-focused identity platform.

The Indian Statistical Institute, supported by MoSPI, is a leading academic and research organization known for its influential research and valuable contributions across various scientific fields. This collaboration aims to offer innovative, data-informed insights for addressing issues linked to identity verification, security risks, and the reliability of Aadhaar's extensive database.

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At the same time, Aadhaar has reached another significant landmark by exceeding 150 billion authentication transactions since it was launched. This achievement, attained by late April 2025, underscores Aadhaar’s widespread acceptance and key significance in India’s advancing digital economy and social welfare framework.

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In April, approximately 21 billion Aadhaar authentication transactions were noted, indicating an 8 percent rise compared to the same month in 2024. This expansion highlights the confidence and dependence placed on Aadhaar for safe and effective identity verification.

Aadhaar-based verification remains fundamental to improving living standards and efficient welfare distribution nationwide. It also allows optional access to a wide variety of services provided by both government and private sector service providers. A significant application is Aadhaar e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer), which improves customer experience and minimizes friction in onboarding procedures in banking, financial services, and more.