The Department of Telecommunications on Friday issued a notification, directing all phone service providers to reverify details for all existing subscribers through Aadhaar-based e-KYC (Know Your Customer) process. The move will impact more than 100 crore mobile phone subscribers in the country, 90% of whom are prepaid card users. The process is likely to cost about ₹2,500 crore which will be borne by the service providers, according to industry body COAI.

“All licensees shall re-verify all existing mobile subscriber (prepaid and postpaid) through Aadhaar based e-KYC process,” the department said in a notification, adding that the process should be complete by February 6, 2018.

It added that any subscriber acquired through proof of identity or proof of address documents during the period of reverification will also need to be reverified.

In January this year, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had recommended the use of Aadhaar-based e-KYC for verification of existing mobile subscribers. It had, however, proposed that this process should be optional to the service providers as well as mobile subscribers.