Are Electronic Signatures Legal in India? (Aadhaar eSign + IT Act)

How India's IT Act 2000 treats electronic signatures, what Aadhaar eSign is, and where DocFila fits.

The IT Act 2000 is India's e-signature foundation

Section 5 of the Information Technology Act 2000 gives electronic signatures the same legal recognition as handwritten signatures, with the IT (Amendment) Act 2008 explicitly recognising both digital signatures (PKI) and electronic signatures (such as Aadhaar eSign).

The Schedule to the IT Act lists carve-outs where wet ink is still required: negotiable instruments (other than cheques), powers of attorney, trusts, wills, and contracts for sale of immovable property.

Aadhaar eSign vs DocFila's signature

Aadhaar eSign uses biometric or OTP-based authentication against UIDAI to issue a one-time signing certificate from a CCA-licensed Certifying Authority — a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)-equivalent signature, without the user needing a USB token.

DocFila does not provide Aadhaar eSign. DocFila's own signature is an ESIGN/UETA-style electronic signature — consent, an emailed one-time verification code, a hash-chained audit trail, and a tamper-evident PDF seal — suited to routine business documents. For a document that specifically requires an Aadhaar eSign, use a licensed Aadhaar eSign Service Provider (ASP) directly.

When you might still want a traditional DSC

Class 3 DSCs are required for MCA filings (companies act compliance), GST invoice signing, EPFO submissions, and tender bidding on government portals (GeM, e-procurement). DocFila does not provide DSC-backed signing; use a licensed Certifying Authority (such as eMudhra or Capricorn) directly for those filings.

Evidence and audit trail

Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act 1872 sets requirements for how an electronic record is admitted as evidence, including a certificate about the device and process that produced it. DocFila's Certificate of Completion records consent, authentication method, intent confirmation, original and final document hashes, and the full evidence history — but DocFila does not represent that this certificate satisfies Section 65B or any other evidentiary rule. This is general information, not legal advice; consult counsel for what your matter requires.