Aadhaar gets a face, UIDAI launches mascot ‘Udai’

New Delhi The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Thursday unveiled ‘Udai,’ a new mascot meant to make Aadhaar-related information easier to understand and more people-friendly.

UIDAI said ‘Udai’ will act as a resident-facing communication companion. “The mascot will become the face of Aadhaar. The purpose of a mascot is to help a brand reach out to people. If you look at popular mascots, like Amul’s, the main idea is recognition and recall. Branding is the basic purpose,” UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar told HT.

He added the mascot will appear across Aadhaar platforms, including the Aadhaar app and portal, and will be used for user interactions. “Aadhaar has given identity to everyone, but until now, Aadhaar itself did not have an identity. Now, Aadhaar has an identity,” Kumar said.

The government plans to launching the new Aadhaar app on January 28, which is also celebrated as the UIDAI Day. The new app is currently in the testing phase.

The mascot was selected through a national design and naming competition hosted on the MyGov platform. UIDAI, in a press release, said 875 entries were received from across the country, including students, designers and professionals, which went through a multi-stage evaluation process.

The mascot was unveiled at an event in Thiruvananthapuram by Neelkanth Mishra, chairman of UIDAI, who also felicitated the winners. Mishra said the launch of ‘Udai’ is part of UIDAI’s efforts to make Aadhaar communication more inclusive and relatable for India’s residents.

Kumar, also present at the event, said the open competition reflected a core Aadhaar principle, which is public participation build trust and acceptance. He added that the large number of entries showed how strongly people connect with Aadhaar as a public good.

Deputy director general Vivek C Verma said Udai will act as a companion and narrator, helping residents connect with Aadhaar-related information more easily as the mascot begins its journey.

Arun Gokul from Thrissur in Kerala won the first prize in the mascot design competition, while Idris Dawaiwala from Pune and Krishna Sharma from Ghazipur secured the second and third prizes. For the mascot’s name, Riya Jain from Bhopal won the top prize, followed by Idris Dawaiwala and Maharaj Saran Chellapilla from Hyderabad.