Digi Yatra to Expand to 15 More Airports in FY26

11 Jun 2025 CW Team

Among the new airports adopting Digi Yatra are Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Srinagar, Chandigarh, and Nagpur. While these five are being prepared, other Airports Authority of India (AAI)-run facilities are infrastructure-ready but awaiting final technology integration.

Launched in 2022, Digi Yatra leverages a decentralised ID model, allowing passengers to authenticate their identity using Aadhaar and a boarding pass. The app has been downloaded 14 million times and has supported over 56 million airport journeys to date.

Passengers begin by submitting their Aadhaar number and verifying it via OTP. The system matches a selfie to the Aadhaar image, creating a digitally stamped "verified credential" stored in the user's Digi Yatra wallet. Data minimisation principles are applied—only essential information such as name, gender, date of birth, and masked Aadhaar number is used.

In the next step, passengers upload their boarding pass. The system cross-verifies travel details and matches facial recognition data at the airport gate. If everything matches, access is granted automatically with no human involvement.

On data security, Sharma assures that biometric data is erased from Digi Yatra’s systems within 24 hours of flight departure. Airports also follow strict policies, with audits conducted annually to ensure compliance. In some cases, data is deleted even faster—within four to five hours—based on security agency guidelines.

The initiative reflects India’s broader move toward frictionless, tech-enabled air travel, especially as passenger volumes rise and infrastructure modernisation continues across the aviation sector.

Digi Yatra, the Civil Aviation Ministry’s facial recognition-based air travel initiative, will be rolled out to 15 additional airports in the 2025–26 financial year, according to Siddharth Sharma, Head of IT Operations at Digi Yatra Foundation. The expansion follows successful implementation across all metro and major airports, with the focus now shifting to smaller facilities where demand justifies the upgrade.Among the new airports adopting Digi Yatra are Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Srinagar, Chandigarh, and Nagpur. While these five are being prepared, other Airports Authority of India (AAI)-run facilities are infrastructure-ready but awaiting final technology integration.Launched in 2022, Digi Yatra leverages a decentralised ID model, allowing passengers to authenticate their identity using Aadhaar and a boarding pass. The app has been downloaded 14 million times and has supported over 56 million airport journeys to date.Passengers begin by submitting their Aadhaar number and verifying it via OTP. The system matches a selfie to the Aadhaar image, creating a digitally stamped verified credential stored in the user's Digi Yatra wallet. Data minimisation principles are applied—only essential information such as name, gender, date of birth, and masked Aadhaar number is used.In the next step, passengers upload their boarding pass. The system cross-verifies travel details and matches facial recognition data at the airport gate. If everything matches, access is granted automatically with no human involvement.On data security, Sharma assures that biometric data is erased from Digi Yatra’s systems within 24 hours of flight departure. Airports also follow strict policies, with audits conducted annually to ensure compliance. In some cases, data is deleted even faster—within four to five hours—based on security agency guidelines.The initiative reflects India’s broader move toward frictionless, tech-enabled air travel, especially as passenger volumes rise and infrastructure modernisation continues across the aviation sector.

Real Estate

05 Aug 2026

CREDAI-MCHI to Host 10th Design & Construction Conference

CREDAI-MCHI will host the 10th anniversary edition of its Design & Construction Conference on August 19, 2026, at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.The event is expected to bring together more than 500 procurement leaders, construction heads, architects, consultants and senior real estate decision-makers, alongside over 50 construction and ancillary brands.The conference will feature product launches, technology showcases, knowledge sessions, strategic business-to-business networking and recognition of procurement professionals contributing to the transformation of the construction..

Infrastructure Energy

05 Aug 2026

BorgWarner Wins Extension for High-Voltage Inverter Programmes

BorgWarner has secured a major extension of several high-volume high-voltage inverter programmes from a leading European automotive manufacturer.The contracts cover updated inverter designs for plug-in hybrid and 800V battery-electric vehicle applications. Production is scheduled to begin in 2029.Isabelle McKenzie, President and General Manager, BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems, said the programme extensions demonstrate the company’s position in power electronics and reflect the strength of its technology, in-house expertise and customer relationships.For plug-in hybrid vehicles, BorgWarner wil..

Infrastructure Urban

05 Aug 2026

Castrol India Q2 Profit Rises 43% to Rs 3.48 bn

Castrol India reported a 43 per cent year-on-year increase in profit after tax to Rs 3.48 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, supported by growth across its consumer, industrial and institutional businesses.Revenue from operations increased 25 per cent to Rs 18.71 billion during the second quarter of 2026, compared with Rs 14.97 billion in the corresponding period of 2025. EBITDA rose 41 per cent to Rs 4.94 billion from Rs 3.50 billion.Sequentially, revenue increased from Rs 15.45 billion in the first quarter of 2026, while EBITDA rose from Rs 3.29 billion. Profit after tax increased ..