Digi Yatra

Digi Yatra was launched by the "Digi Yatra Foundation", which is a private not-for-profit company owned by the Airports Authority of India (26%) and 5 other private airports - Hyderabad, Cochin, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi all having a 14.8% stake each.{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://digiyatrafoundation.com/about-us/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316184122/https://digiyatrafoundation.com/about-us/ |archive-date=2024-03-16 |access-date=2024-04-17 |website=Digiyatra Foundation |language=en}}{{Cite news |last1=Majumder |first1=Arindam |last2=P |first2=Suraksha |date=2024-04-16 |title=Digiyatra CEO denies storing passenger data |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/digiyatra-ceo-denies-storing-passenger-data/articleshow/109354687.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416195621/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/digiyatra-ceo-denies-storing-passenger-data/articleshow/109354687.cms |archive-date=2024-04-16 |access-date=2024-04-17 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}} Being a private company, it is not answerable to RTI requests under the Right to Information Act, 2005.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-15 |title=Digi Yatra Not Under RTI as Run by a Private 'Non-Profit Body': Ministry of Civil Aviation |url=https://thewire.in/tech/digi-yatra-not-under-rti-as-run-by-a-private-non-profit-body-ministry-of-civil-aviation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323002647/https://thewire.in/tech/digi-yatra-not-under-rti-as-run-by-a-private-non-profit-body-ministry-of-civil-aviation |archive-date=2023-03-23 |access-date=2024-04-17 |website=The Wire |language=en}}

The app was developed by Hyderabad-based startup Dataevolve Solutions.{{cite web |date=2 February 2023 |title=This Hyderabad-based startup is behind the airport walk-in app DigiYatra |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/this-hyderabad-based-startup-is-behind-the-airport-walk-in-app-digiyatra-9989271.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624234515/https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/this-hyderabad-based-startup-is-behind-the-airport-walk-in-app-digiyatra-9989271.html |archive-date=2023-06-24}} The company was selected through the national start-up challenge conducted by NITI Aayog under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).{{cite web |date=2023-02-02 |title=Digi Yatra to be implemented at Kolkata, Pune, Vijayawada and Hyderabad Airports by March 2023 |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1895743 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624090210/https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1895743 |archive-date=2023-06-24 |access-date=2024-04-10}}

It was launched on 1 December 2022 in its first phase in Bangalore, Varanasi and Delhi.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-02 |title=Facial recognition technology introduced at 3 airports in India under Digi Yatra initiative |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/aviation/digiyatra-launch-for-passengers-at-3-airports-scindia-data-stored-in-encrypted-format-8301696/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202173411/https://indianexpress.com/article/business/aviation/digiyatra-launch-for-passengers-at-3-airports-scindia-data-stored-in-encrypted-format-8301696/ |archive-date=2022-12-02 |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Nigam |first=Saumya |date=2022-12-02 |title=DigiYatra launched in Delhi, Bengaluru and Varanasi Airports: Everything you need to know |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/technology/news/digiyatra-launched-in-delhi-bengaluru-and-varanasi-airports-everything-you-need-to-know-2022-12-02-828205 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202173413/https://www.indiatvnews.com/technology/news/digiyatra-launched-in-delhi-bengaluru-and-varanasi-airports-everything-you-need-to-know-2022-12-02-828205 |archive-date=2022-12-02 |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=India TV News |language=en}} In April 2023, it was expanded to Vijayawada, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Pune airports.{{cite web |last=Roshni |date=2023-03-03 |title=DigiYatra App: How to use it for airport check-ins |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/digiyatra-app-how-to-use-it-for-airport-check-ins-2342165-2023-03-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306140250/https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/digiyatra-app-how-to-use-it-for-airport-check-ins-2342165-2023-03-03 |archive-date=2023-03-06 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=India Today}} In June 2023, Delhi Airport’s Terminal 3 (T3), announced that passengers traveling from T3 could use Digi Yatra from the airport premises without using the Digi Yatra mobile application.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-09 |title=IGI Airport allows passengers to use DigiYatra without mobile app |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/business/airlines-aviation-igi-airport-allows-passengers-to-use-digiyatra-without-mobile-app-3118886/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608212336/https://www.financialexpress.com/business/airlines-aviation-igi-airport-allows-passengers-to-use-digiyatra-without-mobile-app-3118886/ |archive-date=2023-06-08 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Financial Express |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-06-08 |title=Delhi's IGI Airport introduces app free 'DigiYatra' for passengers |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/passengers-at-delhis-igi-airport-can-use-digiyatra-without-app-download-11686214376860.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608094627/http://www.livemint.com/news/india/passengers-at-delhis-igi-airport-can-use-digiyatra-without-app-download-11686214376860.html |archive-date=2023-06-08 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Mint |language=en-IN}} In the same month, Digi Yatra announced that their service reached one million users.{{cite web |date=2023-06-22 |title=Digi Yatra App user registration crosses 1 million mark |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/digi-yatra-app-user-registration-crosses-1-million-mark/article66997905.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622220024/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/digi-yatra-app-user-registration-crosses-1-million-mark/article66997905.ece |archive-date=2023-06-22 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Business Line}} In August 2023, Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport implemented the Digi Yatra system.{{Cite news |date=2023-08-29 |title=Ahmedabad: Digi Yatra to facilitate seamless travel |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/digi-yatra-to-facilitate-seamless-travel/articleshow/103153025.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121100208/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/digi-yatra-to-facilitate-seamless-travel/articleshow/103153025.cms |archive-date=2023-11-21 |access-date=2023-11-21 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}

During the 2024 CrowdStrike incident, DigiYatra and most other airport and airline digital infrastructure at the Delhi Airport were unsuable.{{Cite news |last=Sonali |first= |date=2024-07-19 |title=Delhi Airport continues to face disruption, chaos: DigiYatra down, long queues intact at IndiGo counters after Microsoft Outage |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/industry/aviation/story/delhi-airport-continues-to-face-disruption-chaos-digiyatra-down-long-queues-intact-at-indigo-counters-after-microsoft-outage-437900-2024-07-20 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720152719/https://www.businesstoday.in/industry/aviation/story/delhi-airport-continues-to-face-disruption-chaos-digiyatra-down-long-queues-intact-at-indigo-counters-after-microsoft-outage-437900-2024-07-20 |archive-date=2024-07-20 |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=Business Today (India)}}

Western media and affiliates have been highlighting issues with Digi Yatra. According to a January 2024 survey, 29% of passengers in the Digi Yatra biometric system were signed up without their knowledge. Security personnel and staff at Indian airports have allegedly been capturing the face biometrics of passengers and non-consensually enrolling them in Digi Yatra, without even informing the passenger what they are doing it for.{{cite news |last1=McConvey |first1=Joel R. |date=2024-01-29 |title=Digi Yatra still ruffling feathers among air travelers, but keeps growing |url=https://www.biometricupdate.com/202401/digi-yatra-still-ruffling-feathers-among-air-travelers-but-keeps-growing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129220714/https://www.biometricupdate.com/202401/digi-yatra-still-ruffling-feathers-among-air-travelers-but-keeps-growing |archive-date=2024-01-29 |access-date=2024-04-10 |work=Biometric Update}} Another 15% of passengers only signed up for the app because they could not find the regular gate.{{cite news |date=28 January 2024 |title='Didn't find regular queue': Fliers still confused about DigiYatra, reveals survey |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/didnt-find-regular-queue-fliers-still-confused-about-digiyatra-reveals-survey-415086-2024-01-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128062816/https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/didnt-find-regular-queue-fliers-still-confused-about-digiyatra-reveals-survey-415086-2024-01-28 |archive-date=2024-01-28 |access-date=2024-04-10 |work=Business Today |language=en}}

In April 2024, the app stopped working without passengers being given any prior notice. The app remained down for several days, and the foundation issued a statement about it being down for infrastructure upgrades. They had to migrate users to a new app, and in process, completely bricked the old app to ensure everyone moved to the newer version.{{Cite web |last=Lobo |first=Simone |date=2024-04-03 |title=DigiYatra app users asked to download new app |url=https://www.medianama.com/2024/04/223-digiyatra-app-users-asked-to-download-new-app/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240403110849/https://www.medianama.com/2024/04/223-digiyatra-app-users-asked-to-download-new-app/ |archive-date=2024-04-03 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=MediaNama |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-04-10 |title=Digi Yatra gets an all-new app, old one will not work at airports: How to download and other details |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/digi-yatra-gets-an-all-new-app-old-one-will-not-work-at-airports-how-to-download-and-other-details-12615601.html |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Moneycontrol |language=en |archive-date=10 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610055510/https://www.moneycontrol.com/europe/?url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/digi-yatra-gets-an-all-new-app-old-one-will-not-work-at-airports-how-to-download-and-other-details-12615601.html |url-status=live }} A major difference between the two apps was that the new app was published on Google Play Store under a domain controlled by the foundation, while the previous app was published under a domain owned by Data Evolve, the company that initially developed the app.

Avinash Kommireddi, the CEO of Dataevolve solutions, had also been arrested for siphoning ₹36.5 crores of funds from Andhra Pradesh Police in an e-challan scam just a few months before this change.{{Cite news |last=Reddy |first=U Sudhakar |date=2023-10-31 |title=ED issues ECIR in Andhra e-challan scam involving ex-DGP's son-in-law |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/ed-issues-ecir-in-andhra-e-challan-scam-involving-ex-dgps-son-in-law/articleshow/104840247.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107145857/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/ed-issues-ecir-in-andhra-e-challan-scam-involving-ex-dgps-son-in-law/articleshow/104840247.cms |archive-date=2023-11-07 |access-date=2024-04-10 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}{{Cite web |last=Kumar PV |first=Ramana |date=2023-11-22 |title=Ex-AP DGP's Nephew Arrested for Siphoning Police's E-challan Money |url=https://www.news18.com/india/ex-ap-dgps-son-in-law-arrested-for-siphoning-polices-e-challan-money-8672620.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222134146/https://www.news18.com/india/ex-ap-dgps-son-in-law-arrested-for-siphoning-polices-e-challan-money-8672620.html |archive-date=2023-12-22 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=News18 |language=en-IN}}Kommireddi Avinash vs The State : S.H.O, Tadepalli,P.S

Crl.M.P.No. 65 of 2024 in Crime No. 628/2023 of Tadepalli,P.S

The Internet Freedom Foundation has raised concerns about the "privacy, surveillance, exclusion errors and lack of institutional accountability and transparency" with Digi Yatra.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-16 |title=Resist Surveillance Tech, Reject Digi Yatra |url=https://internetfreedom.in/reject-digiyatra/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314024503/https://internetfreedom.in/reject-digiyatra/ |archive-date=2024-03-14 |access-date=2024-04-17 |website=Internet Freedom Foundation |language=en}} Privacy experts have said that Digi Yatra suffers from a poor governance structure and the lack of information and disclosures, despite it being a partly government-run service, have made it unreliable.

Digi Yatra also forces users to sign up using Aadhaar. They have stated that there are plans to integrate other ID proofs, but there has been no progress on this as of December 2024.{{Cite web |title=FAQ |url=https://digiyatrafoundation.com/faq/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316184049/https://digiyatrafoundation.com/faq/ |archive-date=2024-03-16 |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=DigiYatra Foundation |language=en}}

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Category:Modi administration initiatives

Category:Facial recognition

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Category:Identity management