Mr Ajay Trehan, Founder and CEO of AuthBridge, spoke to The Hans India on the occasion of Digital Adoption Professionals Day about how technology is reshaping the foundation of trust in high-risk industries. Drawing from two decades of experience in digital verification, he shares how AI, real-time data intelligence, and responsible innovation are enabling faster, safer, and more compliant systems across sectors like BFSI, staffing, fintech, and logistics.

LinkedIn Profile: Ajay TrehanWebsite: www.authbridge.com

He shared that in today's fast-evolving business landscape, digital adoption has matured well beyond the simple deployment of tools or platforms. In compliance-intensive sectors such as BFSI, fintech, logistics, and staffing, it now signals a structural transformation, embedding digital-first systems across the operational chain to enable processes that are not only fast and efficient but also deeply rooted in transparency, trust, and regulatory alignment. In high-stakes industries, the risks are multidimensional, ranging from identity fraud and document forgery to compliance lapses and reputational damage. These are not isolated operational hiccups but systemic vulnerabilities. Organisations operating in such domains increasingly view digital transformation not as a support function, but as a strategic lever for building and scaling trust intelligently. As a result, there is a visible shift from traditional reactive compliance models to real-time, proactive verification frameworks.

Digital verification has emerged as a foundational defence mechanism, redefining how enterprises respond to rising threats such as synthetic identities, deep-fakes, and fraudulent documentation. Non-banking financial companies, for instance, have reported significant reductions in fake loan applications by integrating real-time identity checks and criminal record validations into their onboarding flows. Staffing platforms, particularly those catering to the gig economy, are increasingly deploying facial recognition and address triangulation to prevent identity duplication, an issue that can compromise safety and accountability at scale. Even in executive hiring, where the stakes are reputational, verification systems now include social media screening and litigation record analysis to surface potential red flags early in the process.

When asked about what’s powering this evolution, he mentioned the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI). Mr Ajay explained in detail how AI-enabled systems are not only verifying identities but also detecting intent and identifying linkages between previously disconnected data points. Document forensic engines, for example, can now flag tampered IDs with over 99% accuracy, even when the manipulation is subtle and pixel-level. Facial recognition tools embedded with liveness detection capabilities ensure that onboarding is genuine and tamper-proof. More critically, AI is helping organisations connect the dots by detecting suspicious behavioural patterns, such as repeated fraudulent activity linked to the same device or IP address, thereby adding a predictive layer to fraud prevention.

The operational focus has also shifted towards delivering trust at scale without friction. Today, intelligent verification APIs enable businesses to complete onboarding processes within minutes while maintaining strict compliance with regulatory norms. Unified platforms are integrating identity checks, background screening, and document verification within a single ecosystem, reducing manual bottlenecks and operational lag. This shift is especially crucial for high-volume sectors like logistics, financial services, and blue-collar hiring, where neither speed nor scale can come at the cost of safety or compliance.

Mr Ajay explained further that, however, as digital systems become more sophisticated, so does the responsibility that comes with their use. The deployment of AI in regulated environments demands a framework grounded in explainability, fairness, and human oversight. Whether it's screening candidates or approving credit, decision-making should be transparent and auditable. Human-in-the-loop systems remain essential, particularly in contexts where judgment, ethics, or contextual understanding are critical. Additionally, with the upcoming implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and other global privacy norms, consent-first data governance will be non-negotiable.

Further adding, he said, "Looking ahead, digital verification is poised to become a foundation pillar of India’s trust infrastructure. Integrated with initiatives like Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and the Account Aggregator framework, these systems will help businesses verify identity as well as validate behavioural consistency, contextual integrity, and risk signals, thereby establishing a more layered and intelligent model of trust."

He shared, "As we mark Digital Adoption Professionals Day, it’s a good time to reflect on the quiet yet powerful work being done by technology and compliance teams across India. While technology drives innovation; it is the people, compliance leaders, product thinkers, data scientists, and risk managers; who are making it responsible, scalable, and industry-ready. Their work ensures that as India’s digital economy grows, it does so on the foundation of security, accountability, and long-term resilience."

Concluding the interview, he stated that, in this new era, digital may be the default, but trust will remain its defining currency. And it is through thoughtful, transparent digital adoption that this currency will retain its value.