Land records may be linked with Unified Lending Interface to fast-track farm loans

The Department of Land Resources (DoLR) -- under the Ministry of Rural Development -- has explored integrating digital land governance with the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) to enable seamless, secure and consent-based credit delivery for farmers and rural citizens, an official statement said on Saturday.

The proposal was discussed during a high-level meeting between DoLR and the RBI Innovation Hub (RBIH) -- chaired by DoLR Secretary Narendra Bhooshan -- to explore convergence of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for land governance and digital lending.

According to the government, the discussions focused on leveraging authenticated and interoperable digital land records to improve access to institutional credit while enhancing transparency and efficiency in the lending ecosystem.

The two sides discussed enabling secure and standardised access to authenticated digital land records, accelerating the digital delivery of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) and other agricultural loans, reducing transaction costs and shortening loan processing time.

They also deliberated on strengthening risk management through mortgage information and flag-marking mechanisms to prevent multiple financing against the same land parcel, while promoting financial inclusion by transforming land into a trusted digital asset for accessing formal credit.

Moreover, the meeting emphasised the need for adopting common data standards, ensuring API interoperability, expanding the use of the Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) -- also known as Bhu-Aadhaar -- and fostering closer collaboration between land governance and financial sector stakeholders.

Additionally, the government reaffirmed its commitment to working with the RBI Innovation Hub and other stakeholders to build a secure, interoperable and citizen-centric Digital Public Infrastructure that strengthens land governance while expanding access to formal credit across rural India.