Quick answer: Aadhaar eSign is an online electronic signature service that lets you sign a document by confirming your identity with Aadhaar, usually through an OTP sent to your Aadhaar-registered mobile number. It is legally recognised under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The service is run by eSign Service Providers empanelled by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA), and you use it through a website or app that has eSign built in.
What is an electronic signature?
An electronic signature is a way of showing, in electronic form, that a particular person approved a document. The original version of this article described an electronic signature as a scanned image of your signature, initials or even a voice recording. In everyday speech people do use the phrase that loosely. Indian law is narrower.
Under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), an electronic signature has legal recognition only if it uses a digital signature or one of the techniques listed in the Act’s Second Schedule. A scanned image of your handwritten signature is not one of them. Aadhaar eSign is one of the listed techniques. It was added through the e-authentication rules notified on 27 January 2015 (G.S.R. 61(E)).
What is Aadhaar eSign?
The CCA describes eSign as an online electronic signature service that applications can integrate through an API. Once you have been authenticated through e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer), you can digitally sign a document without owning a physical digital signature token, also called a “dongle”.
Behind the scenes, eSign does four things:
- Authenticates you. Your identity is checked through Aadhaar e-KYC, using either an OTP or biometric authentication.
- Issues a short-lived certificate. The eSign Service Provider, which is a licensed Certifying Authority, issues a Digital Signature Certificate in your name that is valid for a very short time.
- Signs the document. A key pair is created on a secure hardware security module, used once to sign, and then destroyed.
- Keeps an audit trail. The e-KYC reference is recorded along with the signing details.
Only a “hash” of your document is sent for signing. A hash is a unique digital fingerprint of the file, so the provider never receives the document’s contents.
A 2019 amendment to the Second Schedule allowed other e-KYC services alongside Aadhaar, and a 2020 amendment added a remote key-storage model.
Who provides eSign?
The CCA’s list of empanelled eSign Service Providers names seven organisations:
- eMudhra Limited
- Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
- Capricorn Identity Services
- Protean eGov Technologies (formerly NSDL e-Governance)
- Verasys Limited
- CSC e-Governance Services India
- CDSL Ventures
You do not usually deal with these providers directly. A bank, a government portal or a document-signing app, called an Application Service Provider, connects to one of them, and you sign inside that app.
What you need to use Aadhaar eSign
The original article listed two things, and they are still the basics:
- Your 12-digit Aadhaar number.
- Access to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar, so that you can receive the OTP.
If your mobile number is not linked to Aadhaar, the OTP route will not work. You can add or update a mobile number at an Aadhaar centre or through the Aadhaar app.
How to eSign a document with Aadhaar
The exact screens depend on the app or portal, but the flow is usually:
- Open the document in the app or portal that offers eSign, such as an account-opening form or an agreement uploaded to a signing service.
- Choose “eSign” or “Sign with Aadhaar”. You are taken to the eSign Service Provider’s page.
- Enter your Aadhaar number and give consent. Read the consent text, which says what is being signed.
- Enter the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-registered mobile number. Some services use fingerprint or iris authentication instead.
- Download or share the signed document. The signature is embedded in the file, usually a PDF.
- Collect other signatures if needed. Many signing apps let you invite other parties to sign the same document, and you can download the final copy once everyone has signed.
Where Aadhaar eSign is used
- Pensions: Online registration for the National Pension System (eNPS) on Protean’s portal lets you authenticate the form with eSign as one of the options. There is a small charge for this option. See our guide to opening an NPS account with Aadhaar.
- Patent and trademark filings: The Intellectual Property Office has integrated eSign into its e-filing portal, so filers can sign without a physical token.
- Businesses and signing apps: The CCA describes eSign as suitable for individuals, businesses and government. Organisations, including document-signing services, can build it into their own apps as Application Service Providers under the CCA’s on-boarding guidelines. Check which documents a particular institution accepts with eSign.
eSign is one part of a wider move to paperless processes. Our explainer on why Aadhaar is linked to paperless transactions covers the rest.
Is Aadhaar eSign legally valid?
Yes, for most documents. Section 5 of the IT Act gives legal recognition to electronic signatures. Section 3A sets out when an electronic signature is reliable: for example, the signature must be linked only to the signer, and any later change to the signed document must be detectable. Aadhaar eSign is one of the techniques the Second Schedule recognises.
There are exceptions. The IT Act does not apply to the documents in its First Schedule, which include:
- wills;
- trusts;
- contracts for the sale or conveyance of immovable property;
- most powers of attorney and negotiable instruments other than cheques.
A 2022 notification brought certain cheques, promissory notes, bills of exchange and powers of attorney involving entities regulated by the RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA or NHB within the Act. These excluded documents generally still need a physical signature, and some must also be stamped or registered. If you are unsure, check with a lawyer or the receiving institution.
Benefits and safety
The original article stressed convenience, privacy and lower costs. Here is what holds up:
- Sign from anywhere: No printing, scanning or courier, and no need to buy a physical signature token.
- Privacy: The provider receives only the document’s hash, and the signing key is destroyed after one use.
- Tamper evidence: Any change to the document after signing breaks the signature, so alterations can be detected.
- Accountability: Each signature is tied to an authentication record and an audit trail.
Use these safety habits every time:
- Never share an eSign OTP with anyone, including someone who calls claiming to be from a bank or government office.
- Read the consent screen before you enter the OTP.
- Check your Aadhaar authentication history in the Aadhaar app if you see an eSign you do not recognise.
Our guide to Aadhaar authentication and biometric locking explains how to review that history.
Frequently asked questions
Is Aadhaar eSign the same as a digital signature certificate (DSC)?
Both produce a digital signature recognised under the IT Act. A conventional DSC is issued for a longer period and is kept on a physical cryptographic token, usually a USB device. eSign issues a certificate that lasts only for that one signing and needs no token.
Does eSign cost anything?
The charge depends on the app or institution offering it. Some services include it free and others charge a small fee per signature. Check before you sign.
Can I eSign without a mobile number linked to Aadhaar?
Not through the OTP method. Some services offer biometric authentication instead, but most individual users rely on the OTP sent to their Aadhaar-registered mobile number.
Is an image of my signature pasted into a PDF valid?
A pasted image is not one of the electronic signature methods recognised under the IT Act. It is weaker evidence than eSign or a digital signature, so use eSign where a legally recognised electronic signature is needed.
Can I eSign a property sale deed or a will?
No. Wills and contracts for the sale or conveyance of immovable property are in the IT Act’s First Schedule, which the Act does not cover. These documents need physical execution, and often registration as well.
This guide was checked in October 2026 against the Controller of Certifying Authorities’ eSign pages and list of empanelled eSign Service Providers, the Information Technology Act, 2000 and its notified amendments, and service documentation from Protean and the Intellectual Property Office. Check the requirements of the organisation you are signing for.
