By integrating Aadhaar-enabled services, cooperative banks will not only expand their role as self-reliant institutions but also enhance their capacity to deliver digital services, he added. Until now, cooperative banks had largely been excluded from Aadhaar authentication due to compliance hurdles and high costs. To address this, UIDAI, in consultation with the Ministry of Cooperation, NABARD, NPCI, and cooperative banks, has designed a simplified framework. The District Central Cooperative Banks will access Aadhaar authentication applications and IT infrastructure through their respective StCBs. The initiative is seen as a transformative reform that will enable cooperative banks to integrate with India’s expanding digital payments ecosystem and strengthen their role in last-mile banking and inclusive growth.