Telecom Sector regulator TRAI has put forth recommendations to the Department of Telecom (DoT) to allow electronic KYC of Aadhaar as one of the valid documents for getting a new mobile connection.

• The government issued e-KYC guidelines to make the online process of application and authentication faster and simpler for subscribers.
• In contrast to the existing document-based process, the move is intended to cut down time for SIM activation as KYC is verified instantly.
• In e-KYC, a customer through her Aadhaar number and biometrics will online authorise UIDAI to provide demographic details such as name, address, date of birth and gender, along with the digitally-signed photograph, to the mobile operator.

COAI Director General Rajan Mathews felt that the move will be helpful for all stakeholders as it simplifies activation, eases verification process and enhances security.