United Payment Interface (UPI), a term unheard or unbelieved until April 2016, but in Modern India, UPI is the flag-bearer of the ongoing Financial Revolution.
From a tea vendor selling a Rs 10 Cutting Chai to a showroom with a pricey product range, a large section of our society has adapted to UPI. It actively utilises the mechanism for seamless payments. In the early stages, a year after the launch of UPI, the total number of payments was 6% compared to 36% of Card payments. However, in FY 2021, UPI’s share expanded to 63%, while the percentage of Card payments shrunk to 9%. The progressive advancement of UPI has not just constructed an efficient payment instrument, but it has connected millions on an inclusive and well-structured Digital platform.
It must be noted that the underlying infrastructure of Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) has been paramount for UPI’s grand success. Adopting a UPI ID rather than entering bank account numbers and IFSC codes has made transactions effortless. Integration with Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) for recurring Bill Payments has been crucial in creating an innovative platform.
The Indian real-time payments market is well developed when directly compared with other markets like the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, according to a report published by ACI Worldwide. The report also forecast that the share of all transactions occurring via real time instrument was expected to increase to 70.7 per cent in 2026 from the present 31.3 per cent. The report predicted that in 2026, business and consumer level benefits due to India’s real time instant payment was expected to reach $92.4 billion, adding, that it will have an impact of $54.9 billion or 1.12 per cent in India’s GDP.
