UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought advice from Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder of Infosys and architect of India’s Aadhaar digital ID program, as he explores introducing a similar system in Britain. The two met in Mumbai during Starmer’s two-day visit, where he said India had made “a massive success” of digital ID.
Starmer wants the UK to roll out a smartphone-based ID that could help tackle illegal work by migrants and also give citizens a single portal for accessing government services. He argued that such a system would make everyday processes easier, from enrolling children in school to proving eligibility for services. “We could gain a significant advantage,” he told reporters.
While critics fear it could give the government too much control or exclude vulnerable people, Starmer said the system would first become mandatory for migrants to prove their right to work. He suggested it could later become a “good passport” for wider public use.
The prime minister is in India with a large business delegation to strengthen trade ties. His office announced nearly £1.3 billion of new Indian investments in the UK, expected to create about 7,000 jobs in sectors such as AI, e-mobility, and film.
