India has initiated international passenger trials of the Digi Yatra biometric-enabled processing system starting November 2026. The pilot program will operate through December 2026 at seven airports: Delhi (DEL), Bengaluru (BLR), Hyderabad (HYD), Cochin (COK), Mumbai (BOM), Chennai (MAA), and Amritsar (ATQ).
Eligible Passengers and Registration Process
These trials are available to Indian nationals possessing valid electronic passports traveling on selected international flights from Air India and IndiGo. Passengers must register via the Digi Yatra mobile application, which reads the e-passport using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and captures a selfie for biometric verification.
Upon successful registration, travelers receive a Verifiable Credential stored in a
digital Digi Yatra wallet on their smartphones to use at supported airport touchpoints during the trial.
Airport Touchpoints and Travel Document Requirements
Digi Yatra biometric verification will be accessible at up to three airport touchpoints, depending on facility readiness: airline check-in counters, Security Hold Areas, and boarding gates. Although the system streamlines identity verification, passengers must continue to carry all physical travel documents and complete mandatory airline and immigration checks, as Digi Yatra does not replace passports or visas.
IndiGo passengers can upload boarding passes to the Digi Yatra app after initial document checks to leverage biometric face authentication through these checkpoints.
Trial Management and International Standards
The Ministry of Civil
Aviation is overseeing the trials, intending to collect passenger feedback from November to December 2026 to plan a broader international rollout in 2027. The Digi Yatra Foundation aims to explore interoperability with international frameworks including IATA’s One ID and ICAO’s Public Key Directory to support secure global digital travel identities.
Airline Involvement and Official Perspectives
IndiGo has contributed its earlier technical proof of concept experience to support this international expansion. The airline’s Chief Digital and Information Officer noted that successful rollout of Digi Yatra technology could enhance security, passenger convenience, and operational efficiency across airports.
Digi Yatra Foundation’s CEO emphasized the importance of integrating India’s
digital identity system with global aviation standards to enable smooth international travel.
Current Usage and Expansion Plans
As of November 2026, Digi Yatra serves over 26.5 million users across 39 domestic airports, processing more than 110 million passenger journeys on domestic flights. The government plans to add 25 additional domestic airports to the network by 2027, providing infrastructure and operational foundation for both domestic and international biometric travel facilitation.
