DigiLocker-Linked ‘AAERI Verify’ to Simplify Australian University Applications for Indian Students

New Delhi: Doruvu Paul Jagan Babu: Assistant Chief Editor:- Indian students seeking admission to Australian universities will soon have access to a more secure and streamlined document-verification process following the launch of ‘AAERI Verify’, a digital platform developed by the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI) in collaboration with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Integrated with DigiLocker, the platform will enable consent-based verification of students’ academic, identity and financial documents directly from authorised issuing sources.

Digital platform launched in New Delhi

The platform was unveiled at the AAERI Annual Convention in New Delhi on August 7, 2026. The initiative is designed to simplify credential verification for Indian students applying to Australian higher education institutions by replacing physical documentation and manual verification with a digitally enabled process.

Through the integration with DigiLocker, students will be able to share authentic, issuer-verified documents with participating Australian universities after providing explicit consent.

Two-stage verification process

AAERI Verify introduces a two-stage workflow:

Student Check: Verification of relevant credentials before the university application process begins.

Sponsor Check: Verification of financial documents after a student receives an admission offer.

The system is intended to reduce the risks associated with forged or altered documents while making the verification process faster and more transparent.

DigiLocker extends India’s Digital Infrastructure Overseas

Speaking at the launch, JL Gupta, Director, NeGD, said the collaboration demonstrated how India’s Digital Public Infrastructure could address practical challenges beyond the country’s borders.

NeGD, established as an independent business division under MeitY in 2009, supports technology-led governance initiatives and works across various government platforms and statutory organisations.

DigiLocker, a flagship initiative under the Digital India programme, provides citizens with a secure, consent-based platform to store, share and verify authentic digital documents issued by authorised institutions. The service currently has more than 72 crore registered users, according to the information provided.

Focus on security, privacy and faster processing

By enabling universities to access digitally signed records from original issuing authorities with student consent, AAERI Verify aims to reduce dependence on physical documents and manual checks. The initiative is also intended to strengthen document authenticity, protect personal information and reduce delays in international admission processing.

The partnership marks an effort to extend India’s digital public infrastructure into the international education sector, potentially making overseas admission procedures more efficient for Indian students and participating institutions.