A new 21st century career option, biometrics — the science and technology for identity authentication purposes — is arousing rising interest – Indra Gidwani

“SECURITY BREACHES AND transaction frauds — particularly in the fast-expanding cyber world — are multiplying in geometric progression, and driving up demand for sophisticated, hacker-proof identification and personal verification technologies. The solution is development of biometric technologies which are highly secure. In fact, India’s national Aadhaar ID programme is the largest biometric database in the world,” says Sujeet Menezes, director of IBI Detectives Pvt. Ltd, a 40-year-old Mumbai-based Crisil-rated and certified ISO 9001 company with global operations.

Biometrics is the science and technology of measuring and analysing biological data through DNA, fingerprints, iris and retina, facial patterns and hand measurements for identity authentication purposes. A new 21st century career option, biometrics has aroused rising interest within the students’ community, especially after the Aadhaar programme was launched in January 2009.

Biometrics technology usage has wide scope in banks, defence installations, research laboratories etc where fraud, impersonation and identity theft may occur. Moreover, given India’s huge 820 million electorate in which voter impersonation and identity theft is rife, foolproof biometric identity systems are very useful. Biometric devices can also be used in confidential financial transactions and to protect personal and sensitive data.

Study programmes

To qualify as a biometrics professional, aspirants should have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field, and some familiarity with biometrics system tools such as image scanners and databases. College graduates with internship  and assignments experience will obviously have an edge over others in the admissions process. Although full-fledged degree programmes in this relatively new bio-science are not available in India, short-term certificate and diploma courses are provided by the Delhi-based Sherlock Institute of Forensic Science (SIFS) among others countrywide. Abroad, the University of Kent (UK), Instituto Technologies De Buenos Aires, Arizona State University, Colorado Technical University and America InterContinental University offer high-quality and well-respected diploma and postgrad degree programmes in biometrics.

Remuneration prospects

Unsurprisingly, career opportunities are multiplying in the fast growing, evolving field of biometrics. Certified professionals start as interns at Rs.15,000 per month and career progression is fast. Abroad, the average remuneration of qualified biometrics professionals with two-three years experience is $54,000 (Rs.34 lakh) per year.

“Biometrics is a fast-growth career with a burgeoning number of businesses to which biometric technology can be applied. It can be used in airports, border controls, residential complexes, fingerprint and biometric locks, law enforcement, logical access control, time and attendance (in schools, colleges and offices) in which biometric devices are rapidly being installed. Biometric identifiers are unique to individuals and this is the most reliable technology available for verifying identity,” says Menezes.

Professional profile

A chemistry and forensic sciences graduate of Mumbai’s top-ranked St. Xavier’s College with a postgraduate law degree from Mumbai University, Menezes joined IBI Detectives Pvt. Ltd immediately after graduation from St. Xavier’s. “I was able to get an early break because I acquired a working knowledge of biometrics while reading for my bachelor’s programme,” he says.

According to Menezes, the demand for qualified biometrics professionals lags way behind supply. “Aadhaar, the largest biometric database in the world needs many more biometrics professionals. It’s designed to enable government agencies to deliver retail public services securely based on biometric identification — fingerprints, iris scan and face photos — along with demographic data. About 550 million citizens have been assigned 480 million Aadhaar numbers as on November 7, 2013. The programme will cover the entire population of 1.25 billion in a few years,” he says.

Therefore the future is very bright for the biometrics industry and its experts, predicts Menezes. “The supply of biometric readers is expected to grow by 48 percent in the period 2011-18 as the need for identification of individuals for a host of government and non-government services is rising exponentially. This is an excellent career choice for youth looking for fast-career progression in an economy which is certain to transform into the world’s largest market for biometric technologies and devices,” says Menezes.