News
Morpho marks India progress
Morpho has confirmed its technology has played a role in the issuance of the first 12-digit UIDAI number during the rollout of the Aadhaar ID project by India’s Prime Minister.
The scheme is designed to provide all Indian residents with a secure form of ID, based on the latest generation of fingerprint and iris recognition biometric technologies. Each resident is being assigned a unique identification number which will not only give them secure access to benefits and services, including education, telecoms, medical care, banking and finance, but also electoral and economic rights.
Morpho is one of the project’s three successful bidders, selected following an extensive qualification process. According to the firm, the Mahindra Satyam/Morpho consortium is the only Indian-led group involved in de-duplicating thousands of biometric records at the UIDAI centre in Bangalore.
“We are very proud that our technology has been the first used to de-duplicate biometrics for the issuance of the very first Aadhaar number,” says Jean-Paul Jainsky, chairman and chief executive officer of Morpho. “It is truly a remarkable achievement that the UIDAI authority has been able to accomplish in just a year. Morpho has been involved in the Indian government’s biometric projects since 2003 and we look forward to taking on the major technological challenges that come with this one.”
In a separate announcement, the company has confirmed that its smart card production centres in Taubate, Brazil, and Noida, India, have achieved ISO 14001 certification following an external audit confirming their compliance with relevant environmental protection laws and regulations.
“The environmental aspect has become an important factor in our market”, says Paolo Villasco, senior vice president, Sales, Americas, at Morpho’s eDocuments Division. “Along with the certification, we have set strict environmental targets for this year – we plan to cut water and energy consumption by at least 5%.”
Sanjeev Shriya, managing director, Syscom, and senior vice president, Asia Pacific, at the eDocuments Division, explains the importance of the ISO 14001 certification for the Indian plant: “As one of the most modern smart card manufacturing centres in Asia and as the largest personalisation centre in India, our mission is to also be a leader in environmental protection. The ISO certification confirms this commitment. Today, for example, 96% of all waste is being recycled. This year, we aim to reduce electricity and fuel consumption by 3%.”
Over 90% of all smart cards produced by Morpho’s eDocuments Division now come from certified sites.