DigiLocker is a cloud-based platform that allows Indian citizens to store, share, and verify documents and certificates digitally. The Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) launched this flagship project as part of the Digital India program to assist citizens in accessing legitimate papers through their digital document wallet. Documents stored in DigiLocker are considered equivalent to their physical counterparts. Authentic papers that are legally comparable to their physical counterparts can be accessed by citizens through DigiLocker, a digital document wallet. This initiative advances the Prime Minister’s “Digital India” goal by facilitating the transition from paper-based to paperless administration. DigiLocker offers several benefits, making it a valuable digital tool. First, it enhances accessibility by allowing users to access their documents from anywhere, at any time, and share them instantly. The documents stored in DigiLocker are issued directly by government departments and institutions, ensuring their authenticity and tamper-proof, simplifying processes like e-KYC verification. Additionally, DigiLocker is environment-friendly, eliminating the need to print copies for verification and thereby reducing paper waste. This also reduces administrative overhead for government departments by streamlining documentation processes. Moreover, the platform securely stores documents, significantly lowering the risk of financial fraud. Finally, DigiLocker simplifies life by requiring users to remember just one login, reducing the need to manage multiple accounts to access essential documents.
The number of documents issued through DigiLocker has steadily grown over the last six years. It rose from 350.29 crore in 2018-19 to 673 crore in 2023-24, representing a 92% increase over six years, reflecting a consistent effort by various institutions to digitize and issue documents through the DigiLocker platform. This steady increase suggests growing trust and integration of DigiLocker into official document issuance processes. The total number of DigiLocker’s registered users has also seen explosive growth in the last six years. It increased 12.8 times from 2.05 crore to 26.27 crore. This rapid adoption rate indicates growing public awareness, trust, and perceived utility of the DigiLocker system. The year-on-year growth in user registration has been consistently strong, with the user base more than doubling between 2022-23 and 2023-24 alone.
The number of accessed documents through DigiLocker has also shown a dramatic upward trend, with some minor fluctuations. In 2018-19, the total number of accessed documents was only 14.47 crore, which peaked at 2259.87 crore in 2023-24, representing a 156 times increase. This massive growth suggests that users find increasing value in digitally accessing their documents. The significant jump from 857.14 crores in 2022-23 to 2259.87 crores in 2023-24 indicates a major shift in user behaviour or policy changes promoting digital document access. Consumed Documents, which refer to the documents shared or utilized through the platform, show the most volatile but overall upward trend. In 2018-19, the total number of documents consumed through DigiLocker was only 24.54 lakhs, which rose to 13,627 lakhs in 2023-24, representing an astounding 555 times increase. These huge jumps, particularly from 2021-22 to 2022-23 and then to 2023-24, suggest major changes in how documents are being used or shared, possibly due to new integrations with other systems or changes in government policies promoting digital document usage (fig: 1).
Overall, this data paints a picture of rapid digitalization in India’s document management landscape. The consistent growth in issued documents and registered users shows steady platform adoption. The explosive growth in accessed and consumed documents, particularly in recent years, indicates that DigiLocker is becoming an integral part of how Indians interact with official documents. This transition likely improves efficiency in various sectors, reduces paper usage, and enhances citizens’ accessibility to important documents. The rapid growth also suggests successful government initiatives in promoting digital literacy and e-governance. However, such rapid adoption may also present challenges regarding digital infrastructure, data security, and ensuring equitable access across all segments of India’s diverse population.
References
- DigiLocker: an initiative towards paperless governance. (n.d.). DigiLocker. https://www.digilocker.gov.in/
- DARPAN: (n.d.-d). https://meity.dashboard.nic.in/DashboardF.aspx
- ‘Ask Our Experts’ Series begins: Citizens engage with government on features of DigiLocker – India’s Digital Wallet. (n.d.). https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2066296
About Author
Pankaj Chowdhury is a former Research Assistant at the International Economic Association. He holds a Master’s degree in Demography & Biostatistics from the International Institute for Population Sciences and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Visva-Bharati University. His primary research interests focus on exploring new dimensions of in computational social science and digital demography.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of 360 Analytika.
Acknowledgement: The author extends his gratitude to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for providing data support.
This article is posted by Sahil Shekh, Editor-in-Chief at 360 Analytika.
