A Digital Signature Certificate(DSC) is an electronic and legal alternative of traditional wet signature. It can be presented electronically to obtain services or information on the internet or else to sign documents digitally. Also, users can utilize a digital signature certificate to send encrypted emails. A digital signature certificate authenticates the signer's details necessary to generate a digital signature. Most importantly, a digital signature certificate is highly secure file that stores signer's personal information.
An individual or an organization can be eligible to digitally sign documents only after registering with a Certifying Authority (CA). A certifying authority is an organization authorized to issue digital signature certificates, licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authority (CCA). eMudhra is a licensed certifying authority wherein, individuals or organizations can purchase class 3 digital signature certificates for one, two, or three years.
A class 3 digital signature certificate is necessary for GST, income tax, e-procurement, EPFO filing, tender submissions, and much more. The entire registration process for the purchase of a digital signature certificate is conducted online on the eMudhra website. eMudhra deploys multi-factor authentication to verify the user identity in less than 5 minutes. After verification, the digital signature certificate is made available for download within 30 minutes.