India’s digital economy was supposed to be a story of empowerment — of chaiwalas flashing QR codes, fruit vendors skipping change hassles, and small businesses riding the wave of UPI-powered inclusion. But just when the country seemed to be turning the corner on cash, the bureaucracy decided to

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has expanded the UPI‑PayNow facility by adding 13 more Indian banks to its international remittance network. With this update, a total of 19 Indian banks can now facilitate real-time cross-border fund transfers between India and Singapore. Real-Time Transfers Made Easier The UPI‑PayNow integration allows Indian residents to

In Bengaluru, several small traders, food vendors, and street shopkeepers have stopped accepting UPI payments and switched back to cash-only transactions. The shift follows a wave of GST notices sent to unregistered vendors whose UPI transactions crossed prescribed turnover thresholds. Many vendors fear that digital payment records are being used by tax authorities to

India has emerged as the world’s fastest digital payments market, largely driven by the widespread use of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). According to recent global financial assessments, India now records over 18 billion UPI transactions every month, making it the largest real-time retail payments system globally by volume. Cash and Card Use on the […]

Since its inception in 2016, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has revolutionized India’s digital payment ecosystem, experiencing exponential growth over the past five years. In 2019, UPI accounted for 34% of the country’s digital transactions; by 2024, this figure had surged to an impressive 83%. In 2024 alone, India recorded 208.5 billion digital payment

India’s digital payment landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, with indigenous platforms like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and RuPay gaining prominence. This shift is impacting the market share of global payment giants Visa and Mastercard. Rise of UPI and RuPay UPI, launched in 2016, has become a dominant force in India’s digital payments