NEXT Biometrics will be providing fingerprint readers for the World Bank’s Project on Climate Resilient Agriculture (POCRA) in India. The project is being rolled out in conjunction with the Agricultural Department of the Indian state of Maharashtra, and will involve smallholder farmers spread across 5,000 villages in the area.
NEXT’s fingerprint readers will be used to verify the identities of the farmers participating in POCRA, thereby facilitating the transfer of payments to their bank accounts. The goal of the project itself is to help develop climate-resistant crops, especially in regions that are most likely to be affected by drought and long term climate change.
“We are very pleased that our certified technology has been selected for the roll-out of yet another Aadhaar based application,” said NEXT CEO Ritu Favre, referring to India’s expansive biometric citizen ID program. “POCRA is a beacon project. We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the superior performance of our fingerprint technology and grow our footprint and reputation in the Indian market.”
The news comes shortly after NEXT Biometrics received an order for another shipment of fingerprint sensors through its Indian distribution partnership with AqTronics Technologies. The deal was secured through an open bidding process, and is indicative of the strides that Next has made in the Indian market since receiving Aadhaar certificationin 2018.
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March 5, 2019 – by Eric Weiss