Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched ‘Udai’, the official Aadhaar mascot, aimed at making Aadhaar-related communication more resident-friendly, inclusive, and easy to understand.

The mascot will serve as a communication companion to help citizens better grasp Aadhaar services such as updates, authentication, offline verification, selective data sharing, adoption of new technologies, and responsible usage. Through Udai, UIDAI seeks to simplify complex processes and improve public engagement with Aadhaar services.

To design the mascot, UIDAI adopted an open and inclusive approach, hosting national design and naming competitions on the MyGov platform. The initiative received an overwhelming response, with 875 entries from students, professionals, and designers across the country. Following a multi-tier evaluation process, the final mascot emerged as a reflection of public creativity combined with institutional scrutiny.

Arun Gokul from Thrissur, Kerala, won the first prize in the mascot design competition, while Idris Dawaiwala of Pune and Krishna Sharma from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, secured the second and third positions respectively.

In the mascot naming competition, Riya Jain of Bhopal won the first prize, followed by Idris Dawaiwala of Pune and Maharaj Saran Chellapilla of Hyderabad in second and third place.

The mascot was unveiled by Neelkanth Mishra, Chairman, UIDAI, at a function held in Thiruvananthapuram, where the winners were also felicitated. Mishra said the launch marks another step in UIDAI’s efforts to make Aadhaar communication simpler, more inclusive, and relatable for over a billion residents.

Bhuvnesh Kumar, CEO, UIDAI, said the open competition reinforced a core principle of Aadhaar—that public participation builds trust and acceptance—and highlighted how deeply citizens connect with Aadhaar as a public good.

Vivek C Verma, Deputy Director General, UIDAI, added that as Udai begins its journey as a companion and narrator, it will help residents access Aadhaar-related information with greater ease and clarity.