India Launches Biometric E-Passports in 12 Cities

India has formally started issuing biometric e-passports in 12 cities, including Chennai and Jaipur. The move aligns the nation with international standards since over 150 countries had implemented biometric passports by 2019. Malaysia pioneered the use of the technology way back in 1998, based on publicly available information.

The new Indian e-passports are implanted with a microprocessor-based chip having at least 32 KB of storage space. The chip stores the biometric information including facial recognition, fingerprints, and iris scans in a safe manner. They are ICAO 9303 compliant, meaning that they can be used across the world without any issue. They use public key infrastructure (PKI) technology to prevent forgery and ensure data integrity.

While the implementation of these passports is a massive step towards enhancing global travel security and efficiency, there are still concerns. There are still concerns about data privacy, particularly on how the storage and potential tracking of biometric information using the built-in chip will be addressed.

The shift is part of India’s general thrust towards digital identity systems with a view to upgrading its travel documents and its border management protocols. The new biometric e-passports will likely simplify the international travel for Indian nationals.

But implementation comes as global geopolitical tensions continue to escalate. The recent incidence of shelling in Jammu and Kashmir increased tensions about the cross-border mobility, placing added complexity on utilizing these new-fangled passports.

In the face of such obstacles, India’s biometric e-passport program represents a major move towards secure, technology-based identification for international mobility.