Details: Chip shortage causes delay in issuing driving licenses and vehicle registration certificates

The ongoing global shortage of semiconductor chips continues to impact the issue of chip-based driving licenses (DL) as well as vehicle registration certificates (RC) across states that issue Smart Card DLs and RCs. During most of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, disruption in the supply chain and the Russia-Ukraine war caused a shortage of chips and hence, Smart Card drivers’ license were not issued, revealed Pethi Sarguru, CEO of Versatile Card Technology (VCT).

Tenders for manufacturing of these Smart Card based documents are yet to be floated in multiple states, said several persons aware of the situation.

In Maharashtra, the tender for smart drivers’ licenses has been awarded to Manipal Technologies, Vivek Bhimanwar, Transport Commissioner, Maharashtra told ET, adding that he expects the shortage to ease in two or three months once the supplier is on-boarded.
Several automobile dealers revealed that there are delays in issuing drivers’ licenses as well as smart cards for vehicle registration. That said, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology-run DigiLocker digital wallet comes in handy for vehicle owners to store their documents despite not having a hard copy. The documents in DigiLocker keeps traffic personnel from harassing vehicle users that are yet to receive their Smart Cards.

Under the Indian Information Technology Act 2000, digital documents stored in DigiLocker are legally valid. Furthermore, under Rule 9 A of “The Information Technology (Preservation and Retention of Information by Intermediaries Providing Digital Locker Facilities) Rules, 2016” issued documents available via DigiLocker are to be treated at par with original physical documents. The DigiLocker app is available on both Apple App Store as well as Google Play Store.