India’s digital payments grow 25 pc in April; UPI cements global leadership

India’s digital payments ecosystem grew 25 per cent year-on-year in April, with transactions reaching 22.35 billion. UPI continues to dominate, expanding globally and recording exponential growth, reinforcing India’s position as a leader in digital public infrastructure and fintech innovation.

New Delhi: India’s digital payments ecosystem 25 per cent year-on-year growth in the month of April at 22.35 billion transactions at Rs 29.03 lakh crore in terms of value, which is a 21 per cent annual growth, according to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Friday.

On a daily basis, the average number of transactions saw a notable increase to 745 million in April (from 730 million in March).

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The average daily transaction value also rose to Rs 96,766 crore last month, from Rs 95,243 crore in the previous month.

The IMPS monthly volumes stood at 362 million with Rs 7.01 lakh crore in transaction amount (13 per cent YoY growth). Average daily transactions at 12.08 million saw a notable increase too.

In March, the UPI had registered its highest-ever monthly transaction volume at 22.64 billion, since its launch in 2016.

UPI is now live in more than eight countries, including the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius and Qatar, positioning India as a global leader in digital payments. UPI’s growing international adoption is boosting remittances, promoting financial inclusion, and strengthening India’s position in the global fintech landscape.

India’s flagship digital payments platform has recorded an extraordinary nearly 12,000-fold surge in transaction volume over the past decade, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Launched on April 11, 2016, by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) under the regulatory supervision of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), UPI has evolved into the backbone of India’s digital payments ecosystem.

From a modest base of just 2 crore transactions in FY2016-17, the platform processed over 24,162 crore transactions in FY 2025-26, the mini stry said.

In value terms as well, UPI’s rise has been equally remarkable. Transaction value surged from Rs 0.07 lakh crore in its first year of operations to around Rs 314 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, marking an increase of more than 4,000 times.

This dual expansion in both volume and value highlights the platform’s increasing relevance not just for small retail payments but also for higher-value transactions.

According to government assessments, UPI’s scale, interoperability, and reliability have positioned India as a global leader in digital public infrastructure.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recognised UPI as the world’s largest real-time payment system by transaction volume, further reinforcing India’s standing in the global fintech landscape.