UIDAI Targets Deepfakes with New Security Initiative

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has unveiled the Scheme for Innovation and Technology Association with Aadhaar (SITAA)—a national program aimed at strengthening Aadhaar authentication and countering emerging threats such as deepfakes, spoofing, and biometric fraud. Applications for participation are open until November 15.

SITAA brings together startups, researchers, and industry specialists to co-create secure, scalable solutions in next-generation biometrics, AI-driven authentication, and privacy-preserving technologies. UIDAI’s mission is clear: reinforce India’s digital identity infrastructure against rapidly advancing cyber risks.

Three High-Priority Innovation Challenges

In its pilot phase, SITAA will focus on three critical areas:

● Face Liveness Detection: AI-powered safeguards to detect spoofing attempts using photos, masks, or deepfakes.

● Presentation Attack Detection (PAD): Real-time AI/ML models to identify manipulation and prevent fraudulent biometric submissions.

● Contactless Fingerprint Authentication: Mobile SDKs that enable secure fingerprint capture using standard smartphone cameras.

These challenges aim to produce deployable prototypes that can seamlessly integrate with Aadhaar’s nationwide authentication ecosystem.

Collaborative Innovation for National Security

 UIDAI has partnered with the MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) and NASSCOM to support SITAA. MSH will provide incubation support and expert technical guidance, while NASSCOM will help build industry partnerships and global market connections.

Officials highlight SITAA as a key driver of Atmanirbhar Bharat, fostering indigenous innovation and reducing reliance on foreign technologies. By accelerating the development of trustworthy and future-proof authentication systems, the initiative aims to protect the integrity of Aadhaar—India’s most critical digital identity platform.