India commenced international biometric trials of its Digi Yatra airport processing system from November through December 2026 at seven airports: Delhi (DEL), Bengaluru (BLR), Hyderabad (HYD), Cochin (COK), Mumbai (BOM), Chennai (MAA), and Amritsar (ATQ). The trials involve select international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo.
Biometric Verification Process Using E-Passports and Mobile App
Eligible Indian nationals holding valid e-passports can participate by registering their digital identity through the Digi Yatra mobile application. This process requires NFC-enabled smartphones to scan the passport’s electronic chip and Machine Readable Zone. Passengers complete biometric face authentication within the app, creating an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential stored in their Digi Yatra wallet
for use at trial-enabled airport touchpoints. Biometric face authentication is used at three designated airport touchpoints where infrastructure supports the trial, including security hold areas and boarding gates.
Mandatory Physical Documents and Traditional Checks
Despite biometric facilitation, passengers must carry physical passports and boarding passes, completing all airline and immigration checks as usual. Digi Yatra’s trial functions as an additional verification method at these airport points; it complements, but does not replace, existing travel document requirements and airport procedures.
Official Perspectives and Airline Roles
IndiGo supports the trials with a process allowing passengers to upload boarding passes into the Digi Yatra app after in-person document verification. IndiGo’s Chief Digital and Information
Officer, Neetan Chopra, stated, “The successful implementation of the technology can improve security, passenger convenience and operational efficiency across the airport journey.” Digi Yatra Foundation CEO Suresh Khadakbhavi called the international trials an important step to extend digital identity benefits beyond domestic air travel: “The platform had demonstrated how digital identity could simplify domestic air travel. The international trials are an important step towards extending the same experience to eligible Indian nationals travelling abroad.”
Government Strategy and International Interoperability
The Ministry of Civil Aviation administers Digi Yatra and plans to utilize passenger feedback from the trials to prepare for a wider international rollout in 2027.
The initiative tests integration with global biometric passenger processing frameworks, including IATA’s One ID and ICAO’s Public Key Directory, to support interoperability of digital travel credentials. Passenger consent, privacy, and data security remain priorities under the government’s oversight.
Current Usage and Expansion Plans
As of November 1, 2026, Digi Yatra has over 26.5 million users and has enabled more than 110 million passenger journeys across 39 domestic airports. The Ministry of Civil Aviation aims to expand Digi Yatra to another 25 domestic airports by 2027 to support broader international digital identity deployment informed by the trial outcomes.
