With thousands of dialects in use, speeding up identity verification and reducing fraud in India with voice biometrics is becoming popular
In India, a country with diverse languages and accents, voice-based biometrics is gaining traction as a secure and user-friendly authentication method.
Utilizing unique vocal traits, this aspect of biometric technology verifies identity by analyzing features like pitch, tone, and speech patterns, thereby enabling users to authenticate themselves in their preferred language.
DigiconAsia.net found out from Ganesh Gopalan, co-founder and CEO, Gnani.ai, how voice biometrics is being implemented in the nation’s various sectors, including banking, telecommunications, and government services.
DigiconAsia: How is the use of voice biometrics and natural language processing technology transforming the customer experience in India?
Ganesh Gopalan (GG): Voice biometrics is transforming the customer experience in industries like banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), healthcare, and retail — by offering faster, more secure, and frictionless authentication processes.
- In the BFSI industry, it enables customers to access accounts, complete transactions, and verify their identity without needing passwords or answering security questions, enhancing convenience and security.
- In healthcare, voice biometrics secures sensitive patient data and allows quick access to medical records, streamlining patient care.
- Retail businesses in India are using voice biometrics to personalize customer interactions, enabling secure and efficient shopping experiences, from online transactions to in-store support, ultimately improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- At contact centers, voice biometrics technology uses distinct voiceprints to eliminate password fraud, eliminate the need for cumbersome identity verification processes, and offer a seamless, more secure user experience.
All the benefits above enable a smooth customer identity verification experience without the need for acquiring specialized hardware like fingerprint readers or facial recognition equipment.
Beyond that, government initiatives are exploring voice recognition for identity verification in welfare programs, ensuring that benefits reach the intended recipients.
DigiconAsia: Which industries in the country have shown the highest adoption of voice biometrics, and why?
GG: The highest adoption of voice biometrics is occurring in the BFSI, telecom, healthcare, automotive, retail and government sectors.
Voice biometrics technology significantly bolsters security and reduces costs for BFSI clients by offering a robust and efficient authentication method.
Typically, contact center agents in BFSI spend over 45 seconds per call verifying customer identities. In particular, we are seeing strong traction in the high-net-worth individual (HNI) banking segment.
DigiconAsia: What future advancements can we anticipate in voice biometrics in India?
GG: The future is set to be transformative, driven by advancements in generative AI (GenAI), multimodal capabilities, and the growing sophistication of Large Language Models (LLMs) and their specialized subset, Small Language Models (SLMs).
- LLMs will enable hyper-personalized, emotionally intelligent conversations that seamlessly adapt to customer needs, leveraging real-time sentiment analysis. Zero-shot voice authentication, enabled by deep learning models, will become commonplace, ensuring secure and frictionless customer interactions.
- Multimodal solutions will combine voice with visual cues and text, offering richer, more intuitive experiences across channels.
- SLMs, with their domain-specific data trove, will further enhance real-time agent assistance, providing precise knowledge retrieval, suggested responses, and automated workflows, boosting efficiency and improving customer satisfaction.
Finally, we will witness the rise of proactive, predictive customer service in India, driven by AI’s ability to anticipate customer needs and offer solutions before issues arise.
DigiconAsia: What are the potential privacy concerns associated with the increased use of voice biometrics in the country, and how can organizations address these concerns?
GG: The increasing use of voice biometrics can raise potential privacy concerns, including the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive voice data, misuse of biometric information, and the possibility of voiceprint theft or hacking.
Unlike passwords, voiceprints cannot be easily changed if compromised, which heightens security risks.
To address these concerns, organizations must implement strong encryption protocols, ensure secure storage of biometric data, and comply with privacy regulations. Regular audits, transparency in data usage, and giving users control over their voice data, can further enhance trust and protect user privacy. Additionally, multi-factor authentication can add an extra layer of security.
DigiconAsia thanks Ganesh Gopalan for sharing his professional insights with readers.
