Starlink Taps Aadhaar for KYC, UIDAI Pact Opens Access to 20 Lakh users

• Starlink will verify customers using Aadhaar before onboarding
• The company received government approval as a sub-authentication and eKYC agency
• Starlink partnered with Airtel and Jio to distribute its services across India

Starlink, a satellite broadband internet service provided by Elon Musk, will use Aadhaar-based authentication to validate customers ahead of signing on subscribers in India, the company stated in an official release recently. This comes after the Government gave it the go-ahead to offer satellite-based broadband services in India.

The official statement stated, "The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has onboarded satellite-based internet provider Starlink Satellite Communication Pvt Ltd. Starlink will use Aadhaar Authentication for customer verification, which will make the entire process smooth, secure and very easy".

It added, "Starlink’s onboarding with Aadhaar authentication signifies a powerful synergy: India’s trusted digital identity joining hands with global satellite technology. Aadhaar e-KYC will facilitate the onboarding of users seamlessly, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements while delivering high-speed internet to households, businesses, and institutions".

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Starlink has been designated as a sub-authentication user agency and sub-eKYC user agency during a signing meeting attended by key officials, including UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, UIDAI Deputy Director General Manish Bhardwaj and Starlink India Director Parnil Urdhwareshe. The system will help guarantee the secure and smooth identity authentication by users of Starlink in India.

In addition, Starlink entered partnership agreements with leading telecom companies Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to help distribute its broadband services across the country to improve high-speed internet access within urban and remote areas. The move is in an important step toward merging satellite broadband with India's digital framework.