New Delhi, Aug 25 — The Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, has transformed the way Indians make payments. This is how digital transactions have become an integral part of everyday life.
Over the past decade, UPI has witnessed remarkable growth. From around 2 crore transactions in financial year 2016-17, the platform recorded more than 24,000 crore transactions in financial year 2025-26. During the same period, the value of transactions rose from Rs 0.07 lakh crore to Rs 314 lakh crore.
Significantly, India has emerged as a global leader in real-time digital payments. Around one in every two real-time digital transactions worldwide is taking place in India. According to the data, in July 2026 alone, UPI recorded more than 2,360 crore transactions.
The impact of UPI is visible everywhere in the market. According to the figures, 86 per cent of UPI merchant payments are below Rs 500. This underlines the fact that the system is being used extensively for everyday small-scale purchases. According to data, UPI is reported to account for around 84 per cent of digital payments in the country.