What Is Digilocker? Know How To Use It To Store Official Identity Cards, Documents

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What Is Digi Locker? Know How to Use It to Store Official Identity Cards, Documents

In today’s increasingly digital world, safeguarding important documents like identity cards, academic certificates, and financial records has become essential. DigiLocker, an initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is a key digital tool designed to simplify this process. It provides Indian citizens with a secure cloud-based platform to store, access, and share official documents anytime, anywhere — without the need for physical copies.

What Is DigiLocker?

Launched under the Digital India programme, DigiLocker is a digital document wallet that allows users to store electronic versions of important documents issued by government agencies and private institutions. Each user gets a dedicated cloud storage space linked to their Aadhaar number. The stored documents in DigiLocker are considered at par with original physical documents as per the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Key Features of DigiLocker

Free cloud storage: Every user gets up to 1GB of storage space.

Paperless governance: Government departments can issue and verify documents digitally.

Authenticity and security: Documents issued directly by registered issuers are marked as ‘Digital Documents’, which are legally valid.

Access anywhere: Citizens can use DigiLocker on the web or through the mobile app.

Integration with Aadhaar: Provides identity verification and secure access.

Documents You Can Store in DigiLocker

You can store a wide range of documents, including Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, driving licence, vehicle registration certificate, academic mark sheets and degrees, income certificates, insurance policies, voter ID, passport (in supported formats), and utility bills and other personal documents.

DigiLocker also supports uploading scanned or PDF versions of documents not issued digitally.

How to Use DigiLocker

Sign Up: Visit https://www.digilocker.gov.in or download the DigiLocker app. Sign up using your Aadhaar number and authenticate via OTP.

Link Your Aadhaar: Once signed in, link your Aadhaar for identity verification.

Fetch Documents: Navigate to the ‘Issued Documents’ section and pull government-issued documents directly from participating departments (e.g., CBSE, Ministry of Road Transport, Income Tax Department, etc.).

Upload Your Own Files: Under the ‘Uploaded Documents’ tab, you can upload scanned copies of any document for safekeeping.

Share Securely: DigiLocker allows you to share documents via email or by generating a secure link that recipients can verify instantly.

Growing Use of DigiLocker in Financial Services

In a significant step towards investor protection and financial transparency, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has partnered with DigiLocker to address the issue of unclaimed financial assets in the Indian securities market.

The new initiative enables investors to securely store and access information on their demat holdings, mutual fund statements, and consolidated account statement (CAS) through DigiLocker, thereby benefiting investors and their legal heirs. The circular would come into effect from April 1, 2025, Sebi said.

This integration not only simplifies financial document management but also aids in ensuring that rightful heirs can claim assets more efficiently and transparently in the future.

How Is DigiLocker Beneficial?

Convenience: Carry all important documents digitally.

Legally Valid: Accepted by most government and private institutions.

Disaster-Proof: Documents are safe even in case of physical damage or loss.

Environment-Friendly: Reduces the need for printing and photocopying.

DigiLocker is more than just a digital locker — it’s a cornerstone of India’s vision for a paperless and transparent digital economy. Whether you’re a student, professional, investor, or retiree, having your vital documents in DigiLocker ensures ease of access, security, and peace of mind.