NEW DELHI — The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) announced a landmark achievement on Tuesday: Aadhaar processed over 15.2 billion authentication requests in calendar year 2024, averaging 41.6 million authentications per day — the highest figure since the programme's launch in 2009.
The milestone reflects the deepening integration of Aadhaar into India's digital public infrastructure, from banking and telecom to ration card verification and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes that collectively disburse over ₹6 lakh crore annually.
Rural Surge
UIDAI data shows that rural districts now account for 58% of all authentications, up from 41% in 2020 — a dramatic shift driven by the proliferation of Common Service Centres, banking correspondents, and Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS) kiosks in villages.
Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw called Aadhaar "the world's most successful digital identity programme," noting that India's digital public infrastructure stack — comprising Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker — has become a model for over 50 developing nations.