Aadhaar Linking refers to the process of connecting an individual’s Aadhaar number with financial, banking, or government service accounts to enable identity verification, compliance, and seamless service delivery.
Aadhaar Linking is a mandatory or voluntary process (depending on regulations) through which a person’s 12-digit Aadhaar number is linked with services such as bank accounts, PAN cards, mobile numbers, LPG connections, and various government welfare schemes.
The primary purpose of Aadhaar Linking is to eliminate duplicate or fake identities, ensure targeted delivery of subsidies, and strengthen Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance. In the financial sector, Aadhaar linking helps banks and financial institutions verify customer identity quickly through biometric or OTP-based authentication.
Failure to link Aadhaar with required services may result in restricted access, temporary suspension, or loss of benefits, as per prevailing government rules. Aadhaar data is protected under applicable data protection and privacy regulations, and authentication is done through secure channels.
"If a customer links their Aadhaar number with their bank account, the bank can verify the customer’s identity instantly using OTP or biometric authentication, and government subsidies like LPG or DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) can be credited directly into the linked account."