Norway-based IDEX Biometrics has partnered with global card manufacturer KL HI-Tech to launch biometric payment cards in India. The deployment of KL HI-TECH's biometric cards to bank consumers is anticipated to commence in the first quarter of 2024.

According to the official press release, KL HI-TECH has an annual production capacity of 36 million dual-interface payment cards and holds certifications across various ISO classes, as well as accreditation from Visa, Mastercard, and RuPay. It's also worth noting that the company works with several major banks in India and Asia. Regarding this partnership with IDEX Biometrics, representatives from KL HI-TECH expressed optimism about the convergence of a thriving smart card market and the growing adoption of biometrics in India.

They also revealed that they expect substantial growth in the biometric payment card sector, citing IDEX Biometrics' technology leadership, innovative capabilities, and market strategy as driving forces that will benefit consumers in India and Asia. Officials from IDEX Biometrics emphasised India's leadership in biometric authentication solutions and its rapidly expanding payment card market. They also expressed their belief that the Indian market holds substantial potential for biometric payment cards, and KL HI-TECH's strong market position and extensive bank and issuer portfolio will further reinforce its presence.

More information about the two companies KL HI-TECH, in operation since 1988, is focusing on innovation and manufacturing across six key sectors: banking, government, national identity and security, telecom, transport, and education. The company, headquartered in Hyderabad, India, operates a manufacturing facility and serves over 500 clients across 52 countries. IDEX Biometrics is a prominent provider of fingerprint identification technologies, offering secure and user-friendly authentication solutions for payments, identity verification, access control, and device unlocking.

In July 2023, IDEX Biometrics partnered with Goldpac Fintech Hong Kong to issue biometric smart cards based on the former’s fingerprint solution for payments and identity access globally. Goldpac Fintech Hong Kong is Goldpac Group’s international business arm. Commenting on this partnership, executives from Goldpac said they were delighted to bring biometric smart cards to the global market through this partnership with IDEX Biometrics, as they addressed the growing demand of their customers in the banking, fintech, and related enterprise markets.

Through augmented card performance and a frictionless customer experience, Goldpac aimed to offer high-performing and cost-efficient biometric card solutions to their customers. Goldpac and IDEX Biometrics expect that these biometric cards will make their way to consumers before the end of 2023. .