New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched a new and advanced Aadhaar app, the app is formally unveiled in the presence of Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada.

The new Aadhaar app is said to be significantly different from the existing M Aadhaar app and aims to provide citizens with a more secure, faster, and privacy centric digital identity solution by enabling limited and need based data sharing, said a statement by UIDAI.

Speaking on the launch, UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar said that establishing identity has become essential in many situations today, such as renting out a house, staying at a hotel, or availing various services.

'Until now, individuals were required to present multiple physical identity documents, which could be outdated or tampered with. the new Aadhaar app, identity credentials issued by UIDAI with a digital signature and shared through the app will be treated as verified credentials. This will make the identity verification process faster, seamless, and more reliable,' he said.

He further said that the app enables direct app to app verification, allowing service providers to instantly verify identity without any additional procedures. The show and share feature eliminates the need to carry printed Aadhaar copies, enabling users to present their digital Aadhaar on mobile phones at places such as airports and hotels.

Jitin Prasada said that Aadhaar has emerged as a global model for digital identity, with over 125 crore Indians now covered under the system.

He emphasized that the new initiative is completely voluntary, has privacy safeguards built into its design, and is intended to simplify citizens' lives, improve ease of doing business, and strengthen India's position as a technology enabled nation.

'Today, India is the largest digital entity in the world. As far as digital identity is concerned, Aadhaar is one such global showcase. It has demonstrated how processes have been streamlined and expanded to a much larger scale, even reaching the last mile. We have covered over 125 crore people of India. The speed, popularity, and wide adoption of this system clearly show its success. To take this forward, various initiatives have been undertaken,' Prasada said.

He further said under optional facilities, privacy safeguards are fully inbuilt to ensure that personal data is protected. With a database of this magnitude, something only Western countries could once imagine, India has shown that at such a large scale, data can still be protected.

Further speaking on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Prasada said that the recent historic agreement between India and the European Union, which brings together 27 countries under a single framework, reflects the global trust in New India's vision and capabilities.

He noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's growing digital and technological strength is gaining worldwide recognition.

Such agreements, he said, will further establish India as a global provider of digital, technological, and advanced services. (ANI)