Payments Bank CEO steps down in wake of Aadhaar e-KYC misuse

Shashi Arora, CEO and Managing Director, Airtel Payments Bank has stepped down following the Unique Identification Authority of India, (UIDAI) suspending Aadhaar linked e-KYC services on December 16 because of alleged misuse by the company.

"Shashi Arora has been associated with Airtel in senior leadership roles since 2006. He has been an asset for Airtel and over the years has contributed to the company's growth story," Airtel said in a statement here on Friday, without mentioning the suspension. Airtel's e-KYC facility was partly restored by UIDAI on Thursday.

"Having led the operations in key telecom circles followed by building a strong DTH (direct-to-home) business, he has laid the foundation for Airtel's Payments Bank operations. Shashi has decided to move on to pursue opportunities outside of Airtel. We wish Shashi the very best for his future endeavours," the statement added.

The company is yet to name Arora's successor.

The UIDAI's interim order had come after some customers of the telecom major alleged that the company had opened their bank account in Airtel Payments Bank when they used the "Aadhaar linked e-KYC services" without their consent.

The "Aadhaar linked e-KYC" service of UIDAI provides an instant, electronic, non-repudiable proof of identity and proof of address along with date of birth and gender, resident's mobile number and email address to the service provider.