Aadhaar

Aadhaar is a 12 digit identity number issued by UIDAI. It is widely used to verify who you are, including for a quick KYC when you start investing.

What Aadhaar is for

Aadhaar links your name, date of birth, address and biometrics to one number, so a bank or app can confirm your identity in seconds, often with a one-time password to your registered mobile. This is why opening an account or finishing KYC that once took days of paperwork can now be done on a phone in minutes. It is usually paired with your PAN, which is your tax identity.

Where you use it

Beyond investing, Aadhaar is used across banking, government benefits, SIM cards and more. For money specifically, it most often shows up in KYC, in linking your bank account for direct benefit transfers, and in the PAN-Aadhaar link the government requires most people to maintain.

Keeping it safe

Because Aadhaar unlocks identity checks, treat it with care. Share it only where genuinely required, and prefer a masked Aadhaar, which hides the first eight digits, when a full number is not needed. You can lock your Aadhaar biometrics on the UIDAI site or app so they cannot be used without your say-so. Be wary of anyone asking for your Aadhaar number or the OTP sent to your phone out of the blue, because that OTP is what approves a verification; a genuine agency never needs you to read it out. The same rule that protects your UPI PIN applies here: never share a one-time code.