Keir Starmer met with a key architect of India’s digital ID program, as the British prime minister sought guidance on implementing a similar system in the U.K.
Starmer spoke with Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, who is widely credited with implementing India’s Unique ID Card in 2009, on Wednesday as part of his two-day visit to Mumbai. The prime minister’s spokesman Dave Pares told reporters on Wednesday that Starmer "wanted to hear from him” as the government seeks to roll out a national identification card.
It comes after Starmer has set out his ambitions for the U.K. to have a digital ID system on people’s smartphones, which he says will help tackle the problem of migrants being lured to the country on the promise of illegal work. Aside from being used to prove the right to work, regular Britons could also use the system to help them access all government services through one portal, Starmer has said.
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