Digital India turns 11: UPI becomes world’s largest real-time payment system with 24,000 crore transactions in a year
As the Digital India initiative completes 11 years, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has processed nearly 24,000 crore transactions in a year and has been recognised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the world’s largest real-time payment system. As per the central government, UPI transactions increased from just two crore in FY 2016-17 to over 24,162 crore in FY 2025-26. (Shutterstock) As per the central government, UPI transactions increased from just two crore in FY 2016-17 to over 24,162 crore in FY 2025-26. As of March 2026, DigiLocker hosts over 850 crore documents, making document storage and verification easier, particularly for students. The UMANG app is currently being used by around 12 crore people, providing access to a wide range of government services. On the manufacturing front, according to sources, while India imported 74 per cent of its mobile phones in 2014, by 2025, nearly 48 per cent of mobile phones were manufactured in the country, reflecting the growth of domestic manufacturing. Also Read: ‘UPI will be operational in Seychelles by year-end’: MEA According …
