In what could be a landmark move, Pune might see the first development and usage of citizen-oriented identity cards in the country. Taking inspiration from smart cards used in Singapore, the chief information officer (CIO) of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has joined hands with the National Association of Software & Services Companies (NASSCOM) to develop multipurpose biometric cards along the same lines. These cards will be used for a variety of purposes. While the primary function would be to act as an identity proof for security reasons, they will also be used to perform a number of financial transactions as done by the credit/debit cards. Presently, these cards are being developed and the first lot of these cards will be rolled out by next year on a pilot basis.

This news has been confirmed by Mr. Ganesh Natarajan, Chairman of NASSCOM and CEO of Zensar Technologies Ltd. "We are trying to create these cards, on the lines of smart cards in Singapore. The card would be such that it will be used to perform a number of operations like cashless transactions like retail shopping outlets and also work as an identity proof," he said.

Natarajan said that there would be certain technological changes required in the city; however, there will no need for getting the city wi-fi enabled for this purpose. Nevertheless, the city will require many smart card readers installed all across. "If the project succeeds, Pune would proudly become the first city to create such cards for the benefit of citizens in the whole country. And as citizens of Pune, we are proud to support this initiative wholeheartedly. It is a kind of service to the citizens of Pune," he added.

Talking about the initiative, Anupam Saraph, CIO of the municipal corporation, said that some plastic card manufacturers have shown interest in ‘developing’ the cards, adding that the modalities of the project were yet to be defined. “The idea is to create a single integrated card which can facilitate a number of functions, so that people do not need to carry any other cards with them. For example, a single card could be used for cashless banking transactions, as well as for making payments at shops, parking facilities. Apart from using the card for paying taxes, it could also be utilised as the Octopus travel card used in Hong Kong during the travel,” Saraph said.