Year-on-Year growth in the value of bank notes in circulation decreases from 9.9% in FY 2021-22 to 7.8% in FY 2022-23

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions have grown from 92 crore in FY 2017-18 to 8,375 crore in FY 2022-23 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 147% in terms of volume. Similarly, the value of UPI transactions has grown from ₹ 1 lakh crore in FY 2017-18 to ₹ 139 lakh crore in FY 2022-23 at a CAGR of 168%.

UPI has achieved 8,572 crore transactions during current financial year till 11^th December, 2023. UPI has been the major driving force in the overall growth of digital payment transactions in the country accounting for 62% of digital payment transactions in FY 2022-23. The Year-on-Year growth in the value of bank notes in circulation has decreased from 9.9% in FY 2021-22 to 7.8% in FY 2022-23.

The initiatives undertaken by the Government to promote digital transactions include, inter alia;

(i) incentive scheme for promotion of RuPay Debit cards and low-value BHIM UPI transactions (P2M),

(ii) advisories by the Government of India to various stakeholders to improve payment acceptance infrastructure,

(iii) allocation and monitoring year-wise digital payment transaction & merchant acquisition targets to the Public and Private Sector Banks

(iv) Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan (PMGDISHA) to augment digital literacy in rural India, and,

(v) other promotion activities conducted with digital payment stakeholders and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).

In order to encourage customers to adopt to digital banking, RBI has also been conducting

(i) Electronic Banking Awareness and Training (e-BAAT) programmes across the country with thrust on awareness about Digital Payment Products, Frauds and Risk Mitigation and grievance redressal

(ii) Digital Payments Awareness Week

(iii) Mission ‘Har Payment Digital’ with the objective of making every person in India aware of digital payments. RBI has also launched ‘75 Digital Villages’ programme in observance of 75 years of Independence and also conducts multimedia channel / platform based public awareness campaigns under the tag of ‘RBI Says’ or ‘RBI Kehta Hai’ to create awareness among members of public about various digital payment initiatives that cover customer’s safety, security and convenience.

Reserve Bank of India has given permission to linking of RuPay credit cards to UPI. The benefits to the consumers are:

(i) Once the RuPay credit card is linked to UPI, there is no need to carry the physical plastic card for using it through UPI QR, and,

(ii) Enable customers to spend using credit cards even at small merchant outlets with QR codes.

The above information was provided by UNION MINISTER OF STATE FOR FINANCE, DR. BHAGWAT KARAD, while giving a written reply to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha today.

UPI growth drives digital payment dominance, prompting policy and RBI measures to expand acceptance and consumer convenience. UPI is the principal driver of digital payments, showing rapid growth in volume and value while banknote circulation growth declined. Government and RBI measures-such as incentive schemes for card and P2M acceptance, advisories to improve acceptance infrastructure, bank transaction and merchant targets, rural digital literacy programmes, RBI awareness campaigns, and the regulatory permission for linking of RuPay credit cards to UPI-are presented as steps to expand acceptance, consumer convenience and the digital payments footprint.