Aadhaar gets a face? Meet Udai, the new mascot to improve citizen engagement

India’s Unique Identification Authority (UIDAI) has unveiled a new Aadhaar mascot named Udai, aimed at simplifying communication and improving public understanding of Aadhaar services.

The resident-facing mascot is intended to act as a relatable guide, helping citizens navigate key aspects of Aadhaar use, including updates, authentication, offline verification, selective information sharing, technology upgrades and responsible usage.

According to UIDAI, both the mascot’s design and its name were chosen through open national competitions hosted on the government’s MyGov platform. The authority received 875 entries from students, professionals and designers across India, which were assessed through a multi-stage evaluation process.

In the mascot design category, the first prize was awarded to Arun Gokul from Thrissur in Kerala, with Idris Dawaiwala of Pune and Krishna Sharma from Ghazipur taking second and third places. In the naming category, Riya Jain from Bhopal won first prize, followed by Dawaiwala and Maharaj Saran Chellapilla from Hyderabad.

The mascot was formally unveiled by UIDAI chairman Neelkanth Mishra at an event in Thiruvananthapuram, where the competition winners were also honoured. Mishra said the initiative was part of efforts to make Aadhaar communication “simpler, more inclusive and more relatable” for more than a billion residents.

UIDAI chief executive Bhuvnesh Kumar said the open competition reflected Aadhaar’s core principle that public participation strengthens trust and acceptance, adding that the strong response underlined its status as a widely used public service.

UIDAI deputy director general Vivek C. Verma said Udai would serve as a companion and narrator, helping residents engage more easily with Aadhaar-related information.

The launch forms part of UIDAI’s wider push to improve user awareness, responsible adoption and citizen-friendly communication around Aadhaar services.