Module 3 · Chapter 3 of 5 6 min read

The Digital Signature Certificate

A Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate is compulsory to bid on KPPP. What a DSC actually does, signing versus encryption certificates, who issues them, what it costs, how long it lasts, the token and driver setup, and mapping it to your KPPP login.

A USB token holds a private key that never leaves it. Plug in, enter the PIN, and the bid is signed in your name. The portal verifies it against the public certificate.

In this module

A digital signature is the pen. A tender bid is a set of documents you swear to and sign, and on a portal there is no ink, so the law (the Information Technology Act) gives a cryptographic signature the same standing. The Digital Signature Certificate is the device that makes that signature yours.

What a DSC is

A small USB token containing a private key and a certificate that ties the key to a named person, issued by a licensed Certifying Authority under the Controller of Certifying Authorities. When you sign, the token computes a signature over the document with the key; anyone can verify it with the certificate; nobody can forge it without the token and its PIN. Class 3 is the highest assurance class, issued after in-person or video verification, and it is the class e-procurement portals require.

Signing and encryption

Tender portals use two certificates, usually sold together as a combo: a signing certificate to sign your documents, and an encryption certificate so your financial bid can be encrypted until the opening time and decrypted only then. Buy the combo. A signing-only DSC will let you register and be stuck at the financial cover.

Whose name

The DSC is issued to a person, with the organisation's name recorded on it: "Ramesh Kumar, authorised signatory, Sri Manjunatha Constructions". For a proprietorship it is the proprietor. For a firm or company, the partner or director authorised by a resolution or a letter of authority, and portals may ask for that authority. The name on the DSC is checked against the supplier profile when you map it.

Getting one

Where: any licensed Certifying Authority or its registration agents; there are counters in every district headquarters and online providers who verify by video.
Documents: PAN, Aadhaar, a photograph, proof of the organisation (GST certificate) and of your authority to sign for it, and a mobile and email for verification.
Cost: a Class 3 combo with a token is typically a few thousand rupees, depending on validity and provider.
Validity: one, two or three years; three is the best value if you intend to bid. Note the expiry; an expired DSC cannot sign, and closing days are when it is noticed.
Time: same day to two days after verification.

Setting it up on your computer

Install the token driver from the provider (ePass, Watchdata, Proxkey and the like). Windows is the safe choice; the portals' signing components are built for it.
Install the portal's signing utility or browser component as the KPPP help pages direct; it is what lets the browser talk to the token.
Plug the token in and confirm the certificate shows in the token manager with a valid date.
On KPPP, in your supplier profile, choose the DSC mapping option, select the certificate, enter the token PIN, and sign. The certificate's serial number is now bound to your login.

When it expires or changes

Renew before expiry and map the new certificate on the portal; the old mapping stops working the day the old certificate does. If the authorised person changes, the business maps the new person's DSC with the authority letter. A bid signed with a certificate that was valid on the closing date stays valid.

Key takeaways

A Class 3 DSC, signing plus encryption, on a USB token, is compulsory to bid on KPPP.
Issued to a named person authorised for the business; a few thousand rupees for up to three years.
Driver, signing utility, then map the certificate to your KPPP login.
The token and PIN are the signature: keep them, and revoke and remap if lost.

Check yourself

0 / 3

1.Which class of DSC does KPPP require?
2.Why buy the signing and encryption combo?
3.In whose name is a DSC issued for a partnership firm?

Frequently asked

How much does a Class 3 DSC cost?

Typically a few thousand rupees for a signing-and-encryption combo with a USB token, varying with validity (one to three years) and provider.

Can I use one DSC on both KPPP and eproc?

Yes, the same Class 3 certificate can be mapped on both portals, and on GeM and central portals, as long as it is valid.

What if my DSC expires during a tender?

A bid signed while the certificate was valid stays valid. To submit anything new, renew the DSC and map the new certificate on the portal.

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Written from the KTPP Act and Rules, the Karnataka Public Works Departmental Code 2014, KPWD bidding documents and office checklists, and checked against awarded tenders on this site. Figures change; the tender document and the registering office are the final word. Spotted an error? Tell us.