On April 3, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued instructions for an alternative digital KYC (know your customer) process for new mobile connections, saying that the new process would be implemented within a month. Last October the DoT barred telecom companies from executing Aadhaar-based digital authentication, after the Supreme Court restricted the use of Aadhaar information by private companies. That month, telecom operators approached the DoT seeking approval for a new, paperless KYC process as an alternative to Aadhaar-based verification, the Economic Times reported. On November 6 the department asked the operators for a proof of concept for digital KYC. Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel began rolling out an alternative digital KYC process around the same time. DoT's Aadhaar-free, digital KYC rules The new KYC process, from the department's April 3 circular: Live photo: Customers seeking a new connection must carry their original identity proof and proof of address. The mobile operator must take a photograph of the customer at the point of sale and attach this to the customer acquisition form (CAF). It must have a white background and no other person in the frame. Using a printed photo is not allowed. The licensee must also take legible photos of the customer’s documents and attach these to the form. OTP: Once the CAF has been filled in, the customer will receive a one-time password (OTP) on an alternative mobile number. If the customer doesn’t have one, the number of a relative or friend can be used, provided that it is mentioned…
