11 years of Digital India: UPI leads India's digital revolution with over 24,000 Cr transactions in FY 2025-26
New Delhi, June 30
As the Digital India initiative completes 11 years, the Unified Payments Interface has processed nearly 24,000 crore transactions in a year and has been recognised by the International Monetary Fund 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.
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.
According to sources, 12 semiconductor projects have been approved, marking a significant step towards establishing commercial semiconductor manufacturing in India and strengthening the country's position in the global technology ecosystem.
Sources also highlighted the rapid expansion of the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, saying India aims to be recognised globally for creating technology with real-world impact.
The digital economy now accounts for an increasingly larger share of India's economy, and its continued growth is expected to boost the broader economy by driving innovation, productivity, and investment.
The Digital India Programme completes 11 years on July 1, marking a major milestone in India's digital transformation journey.
As of February 2026, India has signed MoUs with 24 countries for cooperation on India Stack and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) systems, covering digital identity, payments, data exchange, and service delivery. UPI is now live in over eight countries, including the UAE, Singapore, France, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka, strengthening India's global fintech presence.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Wow, the scale of UPI is just mind-boggling. Coming from the US, we rely heavily on credit cards and Venmo, but nothing compares to India's unified system. The fact that UPI is now live in 8 countries shows how India is exporting its digital success. Great to see global recognition from the IMF too. 👍
While the numbers are impressive, we need to talk about the digital divide. My village still struggles with internet connectivity, and many elders find UPI confusing. Also, DigiLocker having 850 crore documents is great, but what about data privacy? We need better awareness and cybersecurity measures to truly make this inclusive. Otherwise, it's all just numbers on paper.
I'm thrilled about the semiconductor projects! 🎉 For too long we've been dependent on imports for mobile phones and chips. If we can manufacture 48% of phones domestically now, imagine what another 10 years could do. This is how we become Atmanirbhar Bharat in tech. Kudos to the government and all the innovators making this happen! 🇮🇳
Interesting to see India's AI ambitions alongside digital infrastructure. The real-world impact focus is smart—AI shouldn't just be buzzwords. Also, signing MoUs with 24 countries on India Stack shows strategic thinking. However, I hope the digital economy growth translates into better jobs and wages, not just corporate profits. Let's watch this space.
Yaar, 11 years of Digital India and still I have to struggle with OTPs that don't arrive! 😂
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.