Digi Yatra, the facial-recognition check-in service currently used at airports, may soon be implemented at hotels and public places like historical monuments.
In an interview with The Hindu on Tuesday (18 June 2024), Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, mentioned that a prototype for this expanded use has been developed. Also, they are in talks with government bodies like the Ministry of Tourism about this new application.
The aim of this expansion is to develop a wide “travel stack” to ensure seamless movement across India. Khadakbhavi highlighted the benefits for travelers, such as eliminating the need to repeatedly show passports at hotel check-ins and police stations.
He used the example of the Taj Mahal, suggesting that Digi Yatra could simplify visitor verification at such iconic sites. In addition, discussions with the Ministry of Railways are underway to investigate the possibility of integrating Digi Yatra into rail travel systems.
How Personal Data is Protected with Digi Yatra IDs?
Khadakbhavi further explained that one of Digi Yatra’s main benefits is its enhanced security and privacy protection. Traditional methods like photocopying and sharing screenshots of identity documents often risk data leakage.
Digi Yatra IDs, however, do not store any personally identifiable information. Instead, they use a secure method that saves only hash values or numerical identifiers of the document content in the Digi Yatra Central Ecosystem.
This ensures that sensitive information, such as names, Aadhaar details, face scans, and passport numbers provided during registration, remains protected from potential breaches.
Launched at airports in December 2022, Digi Yatra uses biometric data, like facial scans, to allow passengers to pass through airport checkpoints without physical boarding passes. Currently operational at 14 airports, the initiative plans to expand to 15 more airports by the end of 2024.
The expansion of DigiYatra’s application to hotels and other public places signifies its broader role in facilitating smooth travel experiences across various sectors.
Also Read: Now, Ladies Travelling on IndiGo Flights Can Choose Seats Next to Women!
The DigiYatra Foundation is a non-profit entity funded by a consortium of five private airports (holding a 74% stake) and the Airports Authority of India (holding 26%).
Currently, DigiYatra is operational at entry gates and security screening queues at airports, with plans to extend its reach to boarding gates and baggage drops.
This phased deployment aims to eliminate the need for physical boarding passes, simplifying the entire travel journey.
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