Digi Yatra Surpasses 9 Million Active Users as It Revolutionises Air Travel in India
Digi Yatra, India’s pioneering self-sovereign identity (SSI)-based digital platform for air travel, has registered over 9 million active users and sees an average of 30,000 app downloads per day. This success story, which showcases the growing trust and acceptance of digital solutions in air travel, was announced by the Digi Yatra Foundation on December 26, 2024.
Digi Yatra leverages cutting-edge face-biometric technology, offering passengers contactless and seamless processing at airports. This technological advancement eliminates the need for traditional manual checks, speeding up security, check-in, and boarding procedures. Passengers simply register their biometric data once, allowing them to pass through various stages of airport processing effortlessly. From its humble beginnings in just three airports — Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi — Digi Yatra has expanded its footprint to 24 airports across India, with plans to cover more locations in the future. The platform has facilitated over 42 million seamless journeys, underscoring its effectiveness in reshaping passenger experiences. Additionally, Digi Yatra has enhanced security by reducing human intervention and streamlining operational workflows, creating a more efficient and hassle-free environment for both passengers and airport authorities.
Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, reflects on the platform’s achievements in 2024, noting the significant shift towards a nationwide digital ecosystem for air travel. Khadakbhavi is optimistic about the future, stating, “In the coming year, we look forward to continuing our growth trajectory by adding four more airports in the early months of 2025.” This expansion will not only increase accessibility but also solidify Digi Yatra’s role in transforming air travel into a more efficient, digital experience. By March 2025, the platform plans to support all 22 official languages of India, making it even more accessible to diverse travellers across the country.
The impact of Digi Yatra on travellers has been transformative. Passengers no longer need to carry physical documents or endure long queues at various checkpoints. With Digi Yatra’s integration of biometric verification, the time taken to process passengers at airports has significantly reduced. This means smoother, faster experiences for millions of air travellers.
A key highlight of Digi Yatra’s 2024 achievements is its collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the launch of the “d-KYC” campaign. This initiative focuses on safeguarding passenger privacy and security by ensuring that personal data is not stored or accessed by any central repository. Instead, Digi Yatra provides a secure, user-controlled ecosystem where passengers’ sensitive information remains private, helping to build trust among users.
Looking ahead, Digi Yatra plans to embark on an ambitious international pilot project by June 2025. This will involve conducting trials with foreign passengers holding electronic passports (e-passports). The pilot is expected to require bilateral agreements and will demonstrate the platform’s robust security features. A social media campaign will also be launched to reassure travellers that their personal data remains secure and is not stored centrally, reinforcing the privacy-first approach of Digi Yatra.
The growth trajectory of Digi Yatra and its expanding network of airports signal a bright future for air travel in India. With a focus on technological innovation, user security, and seamless travel experiences, Digi Yatra is setting new standards for efficiency and convenience in the aviation sector. For travellers, this means faster, more efficient journeys, with the added benefit of enhanced privacy and control over their personal information. As the platform continues to grow and expand, it promises to be an integral part of the future of air travel in India and beyond.
