Sabeer Bhatia, one of the most influential entrepreneurs of the late 90s and a pioneer in the tech space, recently appeared on Prakhar Gupta's podcast Prakhar Ke Pravachan. During the conversation, Bhatia shared his critical views on the Aadhaar Card initiative led by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which reportedly cost the Indian government $1.3 billion (Rs. 11,385 crore).

"Aadhaar is like $1.3 billion ill spent," Bhatia remarked. "Because Aadhaar took all of your biometrics, where is that being used? A better way to solve the problem of unique identity would be a video and voice printing technology. Simple. Which every smartphone user has. You can build it in under $20 million."

Bhatia pointed out the lack of technological foresight in the Aadhaar project, suggesting that it could have been executed more efficiently using existing smartphone technologies. "Whoever did this is not a technologist," he stated. "They have never coded in their lives. That's why this problem exists."

Drawing from his extensive experience in the tech industry, Bhatia emphasized his understanding of technology applications. "I know, I have built stuff with my own hands and I know what technology should be used for what purpose," he asserted.

He further explained that voice and video prints could serve as unique identifiers, with stored voiceprints acting as an individual's identification data. This method, he argued, could be seamlessly integrated into various systems, including airport security, eliminating the need for physical identification cards.

Bhatia further elaborated on how the technology could streamline processes at airports. "At the airport, the moment somebody walked in, with the videos of the people walking in, the guys [security personnel] would not even have to check your card," he said

He emphasized that storing voiceprints in a centralized database could significantly lower the costs associated with implementing a unique identity system while enhancing the speed and convenience of identity verification in everyday scenarios.

In addition to its efficiency, Bhatia underscored the cost-effective nature of this approach. He also criticized the existing Aadhaar system for failing to make practical use of the biometric data it collects, questioning the value of the massive investment made in the project.

Bhatia's remarks have sparked discussions about the potential for technological advancements in India's identification systems and whether a more innovative approach could have saved significant costs while achieving better results.