Frequently Asked Questions

An electronic signature is any electronic mark indicating intent to sign (e.g., typed name, image of signature). A digital signature is a specific type of electronic signature using PKI cryptography — it is cryptographically linked to the signer's identity and the document content. Digital signatures are more secure, provide non-repudiation, and detect any tampering. Under IT Act 2000, "electronic signature" encompasses both, but DSC-based and Aadhaar-based signatures have the highest legal standing.

Yes. Digital signatures are legally valid in India under the Information Technology Act 2000, Section 5, which recognizes electronic signatures as legally equivalent to handwritten signatures. Digitally signed documents are admissible as evidence in courts under Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act 1872. DSC-based signatures and Aadhaar eSign are accepted by government portals (MCA21, GSTN, NIC), regulatory authorities (RBI, SEBI, IRDAI), and courts across India.

Class 2 DSC is for individual use — income tax filing, MCA filings, etc. Class 3 DSC is for organizational use with stronger identity verification — required for e-tendering, e-procurement, GSTN, customs filings, and high-value transactions. For most enterprise bulk signing and ERP integration use cases, Class 3 DSC is recommended. Pearl eSign supports both DSC classes.

Yes. Aadhaar eSign is legally valid under the IT Act 2000 and the Electronic Signature or Electronic Authentication Technique and Procedure Rules, 2015, notified by MeitY. The Supreme Court of India has upheld the validity of Aadhaar-based authentication. Aadhaar eSign is accepted by government portals, banks, and regulated industries. The key difference is that Aadhaar eSign is suitable for individuals, while Class 3 DSC is required for some organizational compliance filings.

Yes, Aadhaar eSign requires internet connectivity because it communicates with UIDAI's servers for OTP generation and authentication. The signer also needs their Aadhaar-linked mobile number to be active to receive the OTP. For offline signing requirements, Pearl eSign's Desktop Software with DSC token is the recommended solution.

Yes. Pearl eSign supports multi-party signing workflows. Documents can be configured to require signatures from multiple parties in a defined sequence (sequential signing) or simultaneously (parallel signing). Each signatory receives automatic email/SMS notifications, and the document is routed automatically between signatories without manual coordination. A complete audit trail records every signing event.

Pearl eSign Desktop Software can process entire folders of PDFs in a single bulk signing operation with no hard limit on batch size. Organizations regularly process 1,000 to 10,000+ documents per batch. The signing speed depends on document complexity and hardware capability, but typical signing speeds are 100–500 PDFs per minute for standard documents.

Yes. Pearl eSign Desktop Software supports fully offline signing using DSC hardware tokens. Internet connectivity is not required during the signing operation. This makes it suitable for secure government facilities, classified environments, and locations with poor connectivity. The Aadhaar eSign and API solutions require internet connectivity as they communicate with cloud services.

Pearl eSign is compatible with all major DSC hardware tokens including: ePass 2003 (eMudhra), Proxkey, Safenet (now Thales), Gemalto, WatchData, and other PKCS#11 compliant CCA-certified tokens. Both Class 2 and Class 3 DSC certificates are supported.

Pearl eSign offers three deployment options: (1) Cloud SaaS — fully managed cloud deployment with no infrastructure investment, ideal for rapid deployment; (2) On-Premise — complete deployment within your organization's data center, ideal for government and high-security organizations; (3) Hybrid — on-premise signing with cloud workflow management, combining the best of both.

Getting started is simple: (1) Contact our sales team via the Request Demo button or call +91 89055 10009; (2) Our team will understand your document workflow requirements and recommend the right solution; (3) We will schedule a live demonstration; (4) Upon agreement, implementation and onboarding typically takes 1–5 business days. Contact us via WhatsApp, email info@pearlinfo.in, or use the contact form on our website.

Yes. Documents signed with Pearl eSign can be verified by anyone using standard PDF readers such as Adobe Acrobat, Foxit Reader, or any PDF viewer that supports digital signature validation. The signature panel shows the signer's name, certificate issuer, signing time, and validity status. Adobe Acrobat displays a green checkmark for valid signatures from CCA-licensed CAs.

Pearl eSign's cloud infrastructure maintains a 99.9% uptime SLA. Our systems include redundant failover, disaster recovery, and 24/7 infrastructure monitoring. Scheduled maintenance windows are communicated in advance with minimal downtime. For the Desktop Software, uptime depends on your local infrastructure as it operates offline.