Digi Yatra: Transforming India's Air Travel with 19 Million Users and Global Expansion Plans by 2028

Digi Yatra, India's privacy-focused air travel platform built on Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) principles, has achieved a significant milestone with 19 million downloads. The platform has facilitated over 77 million seamless journeys across 24 airports nationwide, currently reaching a 30 percent adoption rate.

According to a company statement, Digi Yatra aims to reach 80 percent adoption by 2028 and is working toward global interoperability scheduled for implementation in 2026.

Through collaboration with Bhashini, Digi Yatra has commenced beta testing of six regional languages. This feature will eventually expand to encompass all 22 official Indian languages, supporting the Ministry of Civil Aviation's initiative to enhance accessibility and user-friendliness of digital travel solutions throughout India.

The platform is currently piloting electronic passport-based enrollment for international travel after registering its first global user. This development establishes groundwork for seamless journeys for expatriates, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), and foreign travelers, who will soon benefit from digital identity verification instead of traditional manual checks.

To facilitate this international expansion, Digi Yatra is collaborating closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Bureau of Immigration, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and International Air Transport Association (IATA) under the OneID program. These partnerships are developing frameworks for passport and visa-based credential sharing, automated border control, and international pilot trials scheduled for the next financial year.

Beyond travel identity management, Digi Yatra is broadening its service ecosystem to improve convenience for everyday travelers. The platform now integrates direct boarding pass sharing from major airlines and travel applications including IndiGo, Air India, and MakeMyTrip, reducing friction during airport journeys.

Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, stated: "The momentum we are witnessing today marks a new chapter in India's digital travel story. Our multilingual rollout and international pilot program reflect our commitment to making travel simpler, more inclusive, and globally interoperable. What excites us most is the interest we are receiving from countries and global aviation bodies that see Digi Yatra as a model for seamless travel. With strong support from ministries and partner agencies, we are confident that the coming years will bring faster progress than expected, taking India closer to a world where identity verification is instant, secure, and entirely passenger-driven."

The company is also exploring expansion of its privacy-by-design digital identity platform beyond airports (pending regulatory clearances), enabling secure hotel check-ins and automated access through encrypted credentials and biometric verification.

Travelers can bypass manual identification checks by utilizing facial-authentication technology for a seamless experience.

Additionally, the platform is considering implementation at museums, monuments, and tourist attractions to streamline ticketing and enhance visitor experiences in areas with limited connectivity or lengthy queues.

In the future, international expansion of this model could simplify travel for Indians abroad while strengthening India's tourism presence, positioning Digi Yatra as a key driver of privacy-conscious innovation in travel and hospitality sectors.

These advancements operate on Digi Yatra's robust privacy-by-design framework, supported by a decentralized ecosystem that ensures user data protection and compliance with global digital identity standards.