NPCI Introduces Biometric and Wearable Glass Authentication for UPI Payments

In a significant move to enhance India’s digital payments ecosystem, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), in collaboration with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), launched several innovative initiatives at the Global Fintech Fest 2025 in Mumbai, aimed at making Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions more secure, convenient, and inclusive. Central to these initiatives is the introduction of biometric and wearable glass-based authentication, marking a milestone in India’s digital payment landscape.

The new biometric feature allows UPI users to authenticate transactions using their face or fingerprint, linked to Aadhaar data. By performing authentication directly on the user’s device, sensitive biometric information remains secure and never leaves the device, ensuring privacy and reducing potential security risks. This advancement has the potential to replace the traditional four- or six-digit UPI PIN, simplifying the payment process while maintaining high security standards.

Alongside biometric authentication, NPCI unveiled UPI Lite for wearable smart glasses, enabling users to perform small-value transactions entirely hands-free. Users can authorize payments with simple voice commands to their smart glasses, complemented by a quick QR code scan. This innovation eliminates the need for phones, PINs, or touch-based input, making transactions faster and more accessible, particularly for tech-savvy users and individuals with physical limitations.

Another significant feature introduced is multi-signatory accounts on UPI. This feature allows joint account holders—such as families or business partners—to make payments requiring approval from one or more signatories. This innovation ensures transparency and convenience in managing shared accounts, strengthening trust and efficiency in financial management for collaborative or organizational transactions.

These initiatives leverage India’s existing Aadhaar infrastructure, which already stores residents’ fingerprints, iris scans, and facial data. By integrating biometric verification into the UPI framework, NPCI ensures that users can authenticate transactions securely and efficiently. The system is user-friendly and adaptable to supported devices, including smartphones and wearable devices, allowing flexibility and inclusivity for diverse user groups.

The launch also builds on RBI’s recent approval for alternative authentication methods, allowing users to move beyond traditional PIN-based systems. Users can now set or reset their UPI PIN and even withdraw cash from ATMs using biometric authentication. Importantly, these features are optional, providing users the choice to continue using traditional PINs or switch to biometric verification based on their preference.

The launch was officiated in the presence of M. Nagaraju M, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, who described it as a key milestone in India’s digital journey. NPCI highlighted that each transaction will be independently verified by issuing banks using robust cryptographic checks, ensuring the highest levels of security while maintaining a seamless and intuitive payment experience.

These developments are especially beneficial for senior citizens, rural populations, and first-time digital payment users who may find PIN-based systems cumbersome. The Aadhaar-linked face authentication significantly simplifies onboarding, even for users without debit cards, making the system more inclusive and accessible.

Overall, these initiatives mark another major milestone for UPI, which currently powers billions of monthly transactions and serves as the backbone of India’s cashless economy. By combining biometric verification, wearable technology, and multi-signatory functionality, NPCI aims to make digital payments not only easier and faster but also safer and universally accessible, strengthening India’s position as a global leader in digital financial inclusion.