Digi Yatra Registration Kiosks located at Bangalore International Airport (file photo)
India’s decentralised digital identity platform, Digi Yatra, is eyeing a bigger role beyond the aviation space as a reusable identity layer for secure verification and seamless access across multiple sectors over time.The Digi Yatra Foundation, which operates the platform, is positioning Digi Yatra as part of India’s wider digital public infrastructure (DPI) ecosystem.Speaking to businessline, Suresh Khadakbhavi, Chief Executive Officer, Digi Yatra Foundation, said the platform demonstrates how trusted digital identity can be deployed at national scale in a voluntary, privacy-by-design and consent-based manner.“By combining biometrics, verifiable credentials and open standards, Digi Yatra reflects core DPI principles of user control, interoperability, security and trust,” Khadakbhavi told businessline.“Over time, Digi Yatra can serve as a reusable building block for secure identity verification and seamless access across multiple sectors, helping advance India’s vision of citizen-centric digital infrastructure.”According to him, Digi Yatra has already begun exploring non-aviation applications.Earlier this year, the Foundation completed its first large-scale non-aviation deployment at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, marking Digi Yatra’s expansion beyond the aviation sector.Industry observers who spoke to businessline on the future usage of the platform said that the system has significant potential to evolve as a secure digital identity and interoperability layer for national-level examination centres, large public events and high-footfall venues requiring secure and seamless identity verification.Besides its traditional role, the Foundation is also focusing on enabling contactless international travel using verifiable credentials and consent-based identity sharing between airlines and airports.A key milestone in this direction, said Khadakbhavi, was the International Air Transport Association (IATA)-aligned contactless international travel proof of concept conducted with IndiGo and Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru.Furthermore, Khadakbhavi said that international ecosystem collaboration and global interoperability will remain central to Digi Yatra’s long-term roadmap.“The IATA Contactless Travel proof of concept demonstrated how verifiable credentials and consent-based identity sharing can enable seamless travel across airlines and airports while preserving user control,” he said.“Going forward, such collaborations will help align Digi Yatra with global standards, support future international journeys, and position India as a contributor to interoperable and privacy-preserving digital identity ecosystems.”Meanwhile, in addition to its broader expansion strategy, Digi Yatra is continuing to scale its aviation footprint.In FY27, the Foundation plans to focus on increasing airport coverage, improving passenger onboarding through multilingual support and deepening integration with airports, airlines and ecosystem partners.At present, Digi Yatra is operational across 38 airports, with expansion underway to 42 airports as part of the Foundation’s FY27 roadmap.The platform has recorded more than 23 million app downloads and enabled over 99 million passenger journeys, reflecting rising adoption across India’s aviation ecosystem.Additionally, the Foundation is preparing to introduce support for all 22 regional languages to improve accessibility for passengers across the country.Published on May 28, 2026
