PRD · Portfolio version
Instant KYC with DigiLocker
Replace 4–5 day manual KYC with instant DigiLocker verification, with a manual fallback, so students can apply for gigs right after signing up.
1Problem
Students download the app, sign up and stay active, but few apply for jobs. The analytics funnel shows a 42% drop-off at KYC verification. KYC is checked manually by the Timbuckdo team and takes 4–5 days; students can't apply while they wait, and many never return.
2Goals & metrics
| Type | Metric | Baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Drop-off at the KYC step | 42% |
| Secondary | Verified users | Current quarter |
| Secondary | Time from KYC start to verified | 4–5 days |
| Secondary | Job applications from verified students | Current level |
| Guardrail | Verification cost per student | ₹3–4 on Decentro |
| Guardrail | Share of students falling back to manual review | New metric |
3Users
- Students who have signed up and need to verify before applying for gigs.
- Timbuckdo operations team, who currently review every submission by hand.
4Scope
In scope
- DigiLocker verification inside the Students App (via Decentro at launch).
- Manual document upload as a fallback when DigiLocker fails.
- Direct DigiLocker integration, built in parallel to replace Decentro.
- Funnel tracking for every KYC step.
Out of scope
- Changes to sign-up, gig discovery or the application flow itself.
- Expanding the manual verification team.
5Requirements
| # | User story | Acceptance criteria |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | As a student, I can verify my identity with DigiLocker without leaving the app flow. | "Verify with DigiLocker" is the default KYC option. After consent, the result is shown in the app. |
| R2 | As a verified student, I can apply for gigs immediately. | On success, KYC status updates instantly and applying is unlocked without any manual step. |
| R3 | As a student whose DigiLocker verification fails, I can still get verified. | On any failure (e.g. server error, consent not completed), the student sees a clear message and the option to upload documents for manual review. |
| R4 | As an operations team member, I only review students who couldn't use DigiLocker. | The manual review queue contains fallback submissions only. |
| R5 | As the business, we can move from Decentro to direct DigiLocker without disrupting students. | Switching provider does not change the student-facing flow. Decentro is switched off once direct integration is stable. |
| R6 | As the product team, we can see where students drop off in KYC. | Events tracked: KYC started, DigiLocker success, DigiLocker failure (with reason), fallback upload, manual approval. |
6Options considered
| Option | Time to live | Cost | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| More people for manual review | — | Recurring, grows with sign-ups | Rejected |
| DigiLocker via Decentro | Within a week | ₹3–4 per verification | Launch now |
| Direct DigiLocker integration | ~1 month | Build effort, no per-verification fee | Build in parallel, then switch |
7Risks & mitigations
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| DigiLocker or Decentro downtime / server errors | Manual upload fallback (R3); failure reasons tracked (R6). |
| Per-verification cost grows with volume | Direct integration replaces Decentro (R5). |
| Some students can't use DigiLocker | Manual upload fallback stays available. |
| Direct integration takes longer than planned | Decentro keeps running until the switch, so students aren't affected. |
8Rollout
- Week 1: launch DigiLocker via Decentro with manual fallback and funnel tracking.
- In parallel (~1 month): build and test direct DigiLocker integration.
- Switch: move traffic to direct integration once stable; turn off Decentro.
- Review: compare KYC drop-off, time to verification and fallback share against baseline.
9Outcome
KYC drop-off fell from 42% to 18%, verified users grew 35% in one quarter, and verification went from 4–5 days to instant for DigiLocker users.