Latest news with #DigiYatra
Business Upturn
09-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Now you can add digital ID to Apple Wallet: big update for iPhone users
By Aditya Bhagchandani Published on June 9, 2025, 23:08 IST Apple is rolling out a significant upgrade to the Wallet app this fall, allowing users to add a digital ID based on their passport directly to their iPhone. This update, announced at WWDC 2025, brings added convenience for travelers and sets the stage for smoother identity verification at airports. Apple Wallet to support digital ID for travel With this new feature, iPhone users will be able to store their passport-based digital ID in Apple Wallet, which can then be used at participating airports, including TSA checkpoints and other secure travel points. The aim is to eliminate the need for physical ID cards or paper documents, streamlining airport security and check-in processes. Why this matters: relevance to Digi Yatra in India This move comes at a time when India is also pushing for digital transformation at airports through the Digi Yatra initiative. Digi Yatra enables paperless and contactless air travel using biometric and facial recognition technologies. The introduction of digital ID in Apple Wallet complements such efforts, potentially allowing iPhone users in India to integrate their passport or verified identity for Digi Yatra-based check-ins in the future, subject to official integration and approvals. As both Apple and Indian aviation authorities move toward secure digital identity systems, this update could accelerate the adoption of digital boarding experiences in India and globally. Privacy-focused and secure Apple ensures that the digital ID feature is encrypted, stored on-device, and not shared without user permission. This aligns with the company's ongoing commitment to user privacy and data security. The digital ID in Wallet will begin rolling out this fall, starting with select regions and expanding over time in collaboration with government and airport partners. Aditya Bhagchandani serves as the Senior Editor and Writer at Business Upturn, where he leads coverage across the Business, Finance, Corporate, and Stock Market segments. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, he not only contributes insightful articles but also oversees editorial direction for the reporting team.
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Business Standard
09-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Digi Yatra to expand to 15 more airports in India, says Siddharth Verma
Digi Yatra, an initiative co-ordinated by the civil aviation ministry to ensure seamless travel for passengers from the airport gates to boarding a flight, will be available in 15 more airports this fiscal, Siddharth Verma, head of IT operations at Digi Yatra Foundation, said. "All the metros are done and all the big airports are done. So now we are left with the smaller airports where the ministry evaluates if there is a need at all or not. Because at times you don't need such solutions if the volume is very low, or there is just one gate," he told Business Standard. Five of the new airports include Mangalore, Trivandrum, Srinagar, Chandigarh, and Nagpur. The rest are managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), whose infrastructure is ready but where technology integration is still under way. India has 24 of its major airports covered under Digi Yatra, covering nearly 90 per cent of outbound passenger traffic, Verma added. The upcoming airports in Navi Mumbai and Noida are not part of the 15, he clarified. Digi Yatra's technology, launched in 2022, has revolutionised travel across Indian airports through the implementation of self-sovereign identity or decentralised ID, which allows users to control their online information. Authentication is done through two documents: the Aadhaar and the boarding pass. To date, the app has been downloaded 14 million times and has facilitated more than 56 million journeys across Indian airports. 'It should be like a walk in the park, a kind of experience where nobody should ask for your documents. You just show your face and keep walking through the touchpoints seamlessly and don't have to exchange your documents with anyone.' The Digi Yatra app is linked with the UIDAI ecosystem. When a passenger downloads the app, fills in the required details — including the Aadhaar number — and receives an OTP to authenticate, UIDAI sends the Aadhaar details to the phone. 'Then your proof of presence is established by taking your selfie and matching it with the image on your Aadhaar. These two must match. We then create a verified credential (VC), which is like a digital photocopy with a digital stamp called proof value. This proof value, along with the ID document, is stored in the Digi Yatra wallet on the user's phone until it is deleted by the user.' Even with Aadhaar, Digi Yatra follows what Verma terms data minimisation. Only the passenger's name, gender, date of birth, and masked Aadhaar number are taken. 'Your address is not pulled because it is not required for this use case. Privacy by design means data minimisation must be embedded at the core.' The second step involves uploading the boarding pass. The technology pulls data from the QR code, including date of travel, name, seat number, PNR, origin, destination, and sequence number. 'When you link your boarding pass, we match the name linked earlier from your Aadhaar with the name on the boarding pass. If these match, along with the real-time facial image clicked at the airport, the gate opens. All this happens automatically. There is no human intervention,' Verma explains. Asked about data security concerns, he said data shared with the origin airport is deleted from Digi Yatra's biometric gallery within 24 hours of flight departure. 'The data becomes instantly obsolete. That's how the architecture is designed. Airports also cannot retain the data as per policy.' Digi Yatra also conducts annual audits at the enabled airports to ensure compliance with these policy guidelines and verify that systemic scripts are in place. 'Some airports delete it within four hours, some within five. Others delete it as per the policy required by the CISF and other security agencies.'
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
A'bad airport gets recognition for better customer experience
Ahmedabad: The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport, Ahmedabad, announced on Friday that it received Level-4 accreditation by the Airports Council International (ACI) for improved customer experience. This recognition places SVPI Airport among a select group of airports globally and third in India for enhanced customer experience. The accreditation evaluates multiple parameters, including airport culture, governance, operational improvement, measurement, customer strategy, and customer understanding. Key initiatives driving the SVPI Airport's Level-4 accreditation include the digitisation of SOPs, the launch of Digi Yatra, self-baggage drop at both terminals, a rejection line for baggage belts, and increasing baggage handling from 600 to 1,600 bags per hour. AI-based surveillance cameras were installed for enhanced safety and project monitoring, among other improvements. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Technologies to shape airport experience, say experts
With the number of air passengers steadily growing India, transformative technologies like biometric-based Digi Yatra, AI-powered digital twins, integrated multi-modal transport systems, and Net Zero, LEED-certified terminals would shape airport experiences, said experts. They also stressed on the need to strengthen digital ecosystems to manage rising cybersecurity risks which has been identified as a crucial area of focus. 'India's aviation growth presents a dual challenge—securing borders while easing the journey for millions of law-abiding passengers. In Mumbai alone, we clear 22,000–25,000 international travellers daily, averaging 10-minute customs clearance. Our aim is to cut this to 5 minutes,' said Joseph Gouda (IRS), Joint Director, Mumbai Customs while speaking at a round table discussion on 'Reimagining airport passenger infrastructure through innovation, technology and sustainability' organised ahead of the Inter Passenger Terminal Expo 2025 by Media Fusion. 'By adopting AI, ML, RFID, and Advanced Passenger Information systems, we are shifting from manual checks to smarter, targeted interventions. This transformation will make our infrastructure both more secure and passenger-friendly—essential for India's aviation future,' he added. Stating that India has transformed biometric travel with Digi Yatra, where one's face becomes one's boarding pass, Nitin Sharma, DVP – Business Development, of global security group dormakaba, said they were solving complex challenges—like group travel and one-click gate registration—while ensuring data privacy with automatic purging post-flight. 'Innovations like wider gates to prevent tailgating, now powered by AI and ML, were born from India's unique needs and are setting global benchmarks. With under 10% of the population currently flying, we are preparing for exponential growth by scaling smart, cost-efficient technologies. India's rapid pace of innovation is not only enhancing domestic operations but creating airport solutions the world is now adopting,' he said. On the evolving airport infrastructure development in the country, Geetha Priya G, Senior Director – Infrastructure & Airports, JLL India said there was a need to build infrastructure that was resilient, adaptive and efficient. 'Greenfield airports offer the luxury of blank canvas while brownfield sites push us to rethink with constraints for unique, smart and adaptive design solutions. The future lies in modular construction, digital first terminal cores that centralize operations, passenger movement and energy management.' 'Early-stage collaboration is critical—drawing insights from operations, policy shifts, and tech trends helps avoid costly course corrections. We need a terminal design language rooted in sustainability, with built-in readiness for climate volatility, aging demographics, rapid digital changes and hybrid spaces that can handle intensity and downtime with equal ease. Aligning this vision with financial models that attract private investment is key to delivering infrastructure that's future-ready and locally responsive,' she added.
NDTV
04-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
IATA 2025: India Projects Major Growth In Air Travel And Cargo
New Delhi: India hosted the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) 81st Annual General Meeting at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. After a 42-year gap, the event returned to India with Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering the keynote address and positioning the country as a rising global leader in aviation and space-tech. Speaking at the event, PM Modi said India is emerging as a global leader in aviation and space convergence. He added that India is the third-largest domestic aviation market, serving 240 million passengers annually, expected to reach 500 million by 2030. He credited the UDAN scheme for helping over 15 million, many first-time flyers, afford air travel. Operational airports have grown from 74 in 2014 to 162 today. Indian airlines have ordered 2,000+ new aircraft, and the MRO sector now has 154 facilities. He cited three growth pillars: a large, growing market; a skilled young workforce in AI, robotics, and clean energy; and strong policy support including tax reforms and 100 per cent FDI in aviation. The Prime Minister also stressed India's commitment to sustainable flying through green fuel research and innovations like Digi Yatra, a facial recognition travel system. He noted India's inclusive aviation sector, with women making up 15 per cent of pilots and 86 per cent of cabin crew, well above global averages. Highlights Of IATA 2025 Leadership Transition At IATA Luis Gallego, CEO of International Airlines Group, took over as Chair of the IATA Board from Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo. His one-year term started after the AGM. Financial Outlook And Industry Challenges IATA forecasts global airline profits of $36 billion in 2025, up from $32.4 billion in 2024 but below the earlier $36.6 billion estimate. Challenges include trade tensions, aircraft delivery delays, and supply chain issues. Industry revenues are expected to hit $979 billion, with expenses at $913 billion. Sustainability And Innovation Initiatives The aviation industry reaffirmed its goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. That said, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) will cover only 0.7 per cent of fuel needs in 2025, showing more efforts are needed. Enhanced Global Connectivity Air India and Air Mauritius expanded their codeshare partnership starting July 1, to improve travel links between India and Africa with better network integration. 2025 Diversity & Inclusion Award Winners IATA honoured Claudia Zapata-Cardone, Katherine Moloney, and Air Canada for their outstanding efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion in aviation. CFM RISE Program's Open Fan model One of the key highlights at IATA 2025 was CFM RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) program's Open Fan Model. Aimed at developing the next generation of aircraft engines, the CFM RISE program's Open Fan model, built through a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, promises a major leap in fuel efficiency. Here is what makes the CFM RISE Program special: Open Fan Design: The engine uses a unique open fan architecture, which reduces drag and increases efficiency. The fan blades are made of lightweight carbon-fibre composites. Green Compatibility: The core is being designed for compatibility with next-generation fuels, including unblended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as well as with hybrid electric systems. Global Testing: Over 250 tests have been completed worldwide. A model engine was recently wind tunnel-tested in France, and critical turbine components have been through 3,000+ test cycles. Reducing Non-CO2 Emissions: GE Aerospace is working with NASA to study contrails and non-CO2 emissions using advanced lidar technology. Flight Testing This Decade: Airbus and CFM will conduct flight tests later this decade to evaluate the engine in real-world conditions. India Calls The World To Invest PM Modi invited global companies to invest in India's aviation sector, highlighting plans for a $4 billion MRO hub and supportive policies at Gift City. He promoted India as a full-service aviation partner, from design and manufacturing to services and sustainability, urging leaders to 'Make in India' and 'Design in India.' The 82nd IATA AGM will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2026.
