The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which was launched on this day in 2016, has completed ten years of transforming digital payments in the country and abroad. The unprecedented scale and reliability achieved by UPI have earned global recognition, with the system now operational across eleven countries. It has emerged as one of the most successful pillars of country’s Digital Public Infrastructure, providing an inter-operable, real-time payments platform. The UPI has surged almost 13 thousand fold in transaction volume. The Finance Ministry said that the annual transaction volume increased from just one crore 78 lakh transactions in 2016-17 to over 24 thousand 162 crore transactions in 2025-26. The transaction value also rose sharply from seven thousand crore rupees to nearly 314 lakh crore rupees during the same time period.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the decade-long success of Unified Payments Interface. In a social media post, the Prime Minister described UPI as a major turning point in country’s digital payments journey. Calling upon the countrymen to share their UPI experiences, he said that the sheer scale and reach of UPI are something every Indian must be proud of.
Our correspondent reports that by bridging the digital divide, advancing financial inclusion, and expanding access to digital financial services, UPI has empowered individuals and communities across the country while driving broad-based economic participation.
