Govt plans biometrics-based immigration for international passengers

In a bid to position India's airports as major global transit hubs, the government is set to implement a biometrics-based system for international passengers to expedite immigration checks, according to a report by The Economic Times (ET).

This policy, requiring Cabinet approval, aims to streamline laws, ease security and immigration bottlenecks, allocate international flying rights, and develop the necessary infrastructure to position airports like the one in the National Capital as competitive transit hubs.

The biometrics-based system will include automated immigration clearances, which would eliminate the need for physical passport verification, as well as facial recognition or fingerprints to authenticate passenger identities.

There are also talks of integrating the DigiYatra app into this process, which is currently being used to provide paperless journeys for domestic air passengers.

The DigiYatra project, managed by the private non-profit body Digi Yatra Foundation, co-owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and private airports, is actively working on a prototype for electronic passport-based enrollment.

For first-time visitors to India, the enrollment process involves iris, facial, and fingerprint biometrics at manual counters, with subsequent trips benefiting from automated clearance routes.

This system will initially be implemented at airports in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. This initiative will also initially be rolled out for international passengers only. Indian citizens will gain access after the government initiates the issuance of e-passports. E-passports will combine paper and electronic elements, featuring a radio frequency identification chip and antenna embedded in the back cover.

Critical information on the passport will be both printed on its data page and stored in the chip. Full-scale manufacturing and issuance of electronic passports are expected to commence upon the completion of the technical ecosystem and infrastructure following successful testing.

The issuance of electronic passports aligns with the Centre's goal to run India into an international hub for travel. The government also plans to offer single-point international connectivity for the entire South Asian region. In May last year, aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated that Rs 1 trillion would be invested in airports. He added that in the last nine years, 74 airports, heliports, and water aerodromes had been built to strengthen India's aviation sector.