Same-day issuance · Pan-India service
A Digital Signature Certificate is only legally valid if it is issued by a Certifying Authority (CA) licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) under the IT Act, 2000. Here is a plain-English guide to what a CA is, the main licensed CAs in India, and where a DSC provider like DSC Buddy fits in.
A Certifying Authority (CA) is an organisation licensed by the CCA (a body under the Ministry of Electronics & IT) to issue Digital Signature Certificates. The CA verifies your identity, binds it to a cryptographic key pair, and issues the certificate — which is what makes your digital signature legally enforceable in India. Only CCA-licensed CAs may issue DSCs; the authoritative, current list is maintained by the CCA at cca.gov.in.
The best-known CCA-licensed Certifying Authorities that issue Class 3, DGFT and Document Signer certificates include:
| Certifying Authority | Known for |
|---|---|
| eMudhra | One of India's largest CAs; publicly listed |
| (n)Code Solutions | A GNFC (Govt of Gujarat) undertaking |
| Capricorn | Widely used CA with a large partner network |
| IDSign | Certifying Authority (Verasys Technologies) — DSC Buddy's CA partner |
| XtraTrust | CCA-licensed CA for Class 3 & DGFT certificates |
| PantaSign | Pantagon Sign Securities — Class 3 & DGFT DSCs |
| VSign | CCA-licensed Certifying Authority |
| ProDigiSign | Certifying Authority for digital signatures |
| SafeScrypt (Sify) | One of India's earliest Certifying Authorities |
| NIC / CDAC / IDRBT | Government CAs (govt use & the banking sector) |
Names are listed for reference. The official, always-current list of licensed CAs is published by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA). A DSC issued by any licensed CA carries the same legal validity.
A Certifying Authority issues the certificate. A DSC provider (like DSC Buddy) is a channel partner that handles your onboarding — collecting documents, running paperless Aadhaar eKYC, supplying the USB token, and getting the certificate issued through a licensed CA. You get faster service and support, and the certificate is issued by the licensed CA, so it is fully legally valid.
An organisation licensed by the CCA under the IT Act, 2000 to issue Digital Signature Certificates. Only CCA-licensed CAs can issue legally valid DSCs.
A limited number — including eMudhra, (n)Code, Capricorn, IDSign, XtraTrust, PantaSign, VSign, ProDigiSign, SafeScrypt and government CAs like NIC, CDAC and IDRBT. The authoritative list is on cca.gov.in.
No — DSC Buddy is an independent DSC provider and partner. Certificates are issued through licensed CAs under the IT Act, 2000, so each one is fully legally valid.
We issue through licensed Certifying Authorities and are an authorised partner of IDSign. A DSC is equally valid regardless of which licensed CA issues it.
DSC Buddy issues Class 3, DGFT & Document Signer certificates through licensed Certifying Authorities — same-day, paperless — or become a partner and issue them yourself.
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