admin India’s DigiYatra initiative is set to broaden its horizons with prototype testing for e-passport based enrollment scheduled to start next month. Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of the DigiYatra Foundation, announced these plans at a recent event in Saudi Arabia, signalling a significant leap towards integrating this digital travel technology for international use.
Integrating Global Standards
The DigiYatra Foundation, a joint venture between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and private airports, is aligning with the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) One-ID initiative to ensure global interoperability. This move aims to simplify the passenger journey using biometric-enabled identification systems across international borders. The IATA’s initiative, representing numerous airlines worldwide, supports the seamless integration of travel processes, enhancing the efficiency and convenience of air travel.
Launched in December 2022 at three Indian airports, DigiYatra has quickly expanded to 14 airports with plans to include 14 more. The integration of chip-enabled e-passports into its system marks a crucial step in providing secure and verifiable travel credentials, especially for international travellers. By next month, the initiative aims to cover approximately 90% of India’s flying population as it becomes operational in 28 airports.
Khadakbhavi shared insights at the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, explaining that the successful implementation of this technology would require collaboration with India’s Bureau of Immigration and the Ministry of External Affairs. This collaboration could extend the timeline but is essential for the sophisticated integration of the technology.
The initiative’s vision extends beyond airports, aspiring to streamline processes in hotels and public spaces, enhancing the overall travel experience. Khadakbhavi emphasised the importance of self-sovereign identity, where passenger data is not stored centrally, thereby enhancing privacy and security. This approach is anticipated to foster easier adoption and acceptance among travellers.
Despite the progress, educating travellers about the privacy and security aspects of self-sovereign identity remains a challenge. The recent backend upgrade, which led to speculations about a data breach, was clarified by the foundation as a necessary step for the expansion to more airports. The new app already boasts over 2 million users, reflecting growing trust and acceptance.
Looking forward, DigiYatra is set to implement fully homomorphic encryption to prevent the misuse of shared data. This encryption ensures that once data is used by an airport, it cannot be accessed again by any other party. With its ambitious vision, DigiYatra aims to transform the airport experience into a seamless, single-process system within the next decade, leveraging technology to revolutionise how we travel.
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