India to enable biometric UPI authentication from Oct 8 #
India will begin allowing users of its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to authenticate instant payments using biometrics—such as facial recognition or fingerprints—starting October 8, 2025. The new feature will use biometric data linked to the government’s Aadhaar identity system, marking one of the most significant upgrades to India’s digital payments infrastructure since UPI’s launch in 2016
According to three sources cited by Reuters, the rollout will be demonstrated at the Global Fintech Festival in Mumbai this week. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which operates UPI, has been testing biometric authentication for months in partnership with major banks and device makers to ensure compatibility with mobile sensors and Aadhaar-linked databases
The shift is expected to make small-value transactions faster and more secure by eliminating the need for a numeric PIN, while also expanding financial inclusion among users less comfortable with digital interfaces. Analysts note that the biometric approach could raise data privacy concerns, given India’s history of debates over Aadhaar-linked services and information security.