Indian Government Expands Aadhaar Authentication Service to Public and Private Entities

The Indian government expanded the Aadhaar authentication service to both public and private entities across multiple sectors on Friday. The expansion was part of a recent amendment introduced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The ministry said the ease of restriction in accessing the authentication service will boost innovation, knowledge, and public service enhancement in various services. The government also highlighted that the move will improve transparency and inclusivity in the decision-making process of the eligible entities.

MeitY Expands Aadhaar Authentication Service

The expansion was part of the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Amendment Rules, 2025 under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016. It was notified by MeitY via an eGazzette notification as well as a social media post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

With this amendment, both public and private entities will be able to access the Aadhaar authentication service to verify the credentials of their users and customers. “This will help both the service providers as well as the service seekers to have trusted transactions,” a press release by the ministry mentioned.

The post stated that this amendment is aimed at enhancing the scope and utility of Aadhaar authentication to promote good governance, social welfare, innovation, and knowledge dissemination. MeitY also stated that the usage of Aadhaar by government and non-government entities will improve service delivery and ease of living for people. The expansion currently includes sectors such as e-commerce, travel, tourism, hospitality, health, and more.

Notably, to be eligible to access the Aadhaar authentication service, entities will have to apply with the details of the intended requirements to the concerned ministry or department of the Central or State government via a specific format. The applications will be examined by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), and approval will be issued by MeitY based on the recommendation of UIDAI.

Notably, the new amendment amends legislation introduced in 2020 to restrict private entities' access to the Aadhaar authentication service. The legislation was introduced after the Supreme Court restricted private entities from seeking Aadhaar data citing reasons such as data security and privacy.