PM Modi Marks 10 Years of UPI, Says Every Indian Must Be Proud

August 25, 2026

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday marked 10 years of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), saying the scale and reach of India’s digital payment revolution are something every Indian should be proud of.

Modi said the introduction of UPI marked a major turning point in the country’s digital payments journey.

Taking to X, the Prime Minister said, “A decade ago, UPI was rolled out, marking a major turning point in India’s digital payments journey. The sheer scale and reach of UPI are something every Indian must be proud of.”

A decade ago, UPI was rolled out, marking a major turning point in India’s digital payments journey.

The sheer scale and reach of UPI are something every Indian must be proud of.

Tell me about your UPI experience and how it impacted your life… #10YearsOfUPI pic.twitter.com/Xtto6V6gpU

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 25, 2026

He also asked people to share their experiences with UPI and explain how the digital payment platform has impacted their lives.

UPI Completes 10 Years

Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI has emerged as a cornerstone of India’s digital payments ecosystem.

The platform is currently accepted in 11 countries, with Greece and the Maldives being the latest countries to adopt India’s real-time payment system.

UPI is operational in Bhutan, Nepal, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, France, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Qatar, enabling cross-border digital payments.

UPI Transactions Surge Over Decade

UPI has recorded a sharp rise in transaction volume and value over the past decade.

According to an official factsheet, annual transaction volumes increased nearly 12,000-fold, from 2 crore transactions in FY 2016-17 to more than 24,162 crore transactions in FY 2025-26.

Annual transaction value also rose from Rs 0.07 lakh crore to nearly Rs 314 lakh crore, marking more than a 4,000-fold increase.

The factsheet said the UPI network had 741 live banks and processed 2,365.8 crore transactions worth Rs 29.87 lakh crore in July 2026.

UPI Gains Global Recognition

UPI accounted for nearly 49 per cent of global real-time payment transaction volume in 2024, according to the factsheet.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also highlighted UPI’s growth in its report titled Growing Retail Digital Payments: The Value of Interoperability.

On-device authentication for UPI was introduced in 2025, allowing users to make payments through smartphone fingerprint or face unlock.

Aadhaar-based Face Authentication also simplified UPI PIN onboarding, particularly for first-time users, senior citizens and people without easy access to cards.