Big news has emerged that brings relief to FASTag users. There will no longer be a need to remove the old sticker from the vehicle’s windshield or install a new physical tag when switching banks. Much like a mobile SIM card, FASTags can now be easily ported. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched this innovative service, named ‘OneTag’, on Friday during the ‘Global Fintech Fest 2026’ held in Mumbai.
What changes has the introduction of ‘OneTag’ brought to the system?
Until now, users had to close their old tag account if they wanted to switch banks. Subsequently, they had to go through a new process to obtain a fresh physical sticker. Users will no longer need to close their old accounts; a single FASTag sticker will be directly portable across different banks.
No changes at the toll plaza:
The toll deduction process at toll plazas will remain exactly as it was before; there are no changes to it. Motorists will not need to stop or perform any new actions at the toll plaza. The backend computer systems will be managed by the ‘National Electronic Toll Collection’ (NPCI) framework, which will automatically update the information regarding the new bank. In other words, there will be no change in the procedure for drivers when passing through the toll plaza. The government expects a significant reduction in the need to repeatedly manufacture, dispatch, and reissue physical FASTags. This will help conserve both the environment and resources.
What are NETC and RFID?
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): This is a wireless technology that uses radio waves to read data from the chip embedded in a FASTag sticker, enabling toll collection without requiring the vehicle to stop.
National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC): This is an interoperable platform developed by NPCI that connects toll plazas, banks, and vehicle owners across India into a single digital network.
