India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recorded strong growth in April 2026, processing over 22 billion transactions and reinforcing its position as the backbone of the country’s digital payments ecosystem.
India’s digital payments platform Unified Payments Interface (UPI) registered 22.35 billion transactions in April 2026, marking a 25 per cent year-on-year increase, according to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
In value terms, transactions reached ₹29.03 lakh crore, reflecting a 21 per cent annual growth and underscoring the rapid expansion of digital payments across the country.
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On a daily basis, UPI processed an average of 745 million transactions in April, up from 730 million in March. The average daily transaction value also increased to ₹96,766 crore, compared to ₹95,243 crore in the previous month.
Despite a slight dip from March’s record high of 22.64 billion transactions, April’s figures indicate sustained momentum at the start of the new financial year.
IMPS and other systems also expand
Alongside UPI, the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) recorded 362 million transactions in April, with a total value of ₹7.01 lakh crore, marking a 13 per cent year-on-year growth. Average daily IMPS transactions rose to 12.08 million.
UPI is now operational in more than eight countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius and Qatar.
Its growing international footprint is facilitating cross-border payments, boosting remittances, and supporting financial inclusion, while strengthening India’s global fintech standing.
Exponential growth since launch
Launched in 2016 under the supervision of the Reserve Bank of India, UPI has witnessed extraordinary growth over the past decade.
Transaction volumes have surged nearly 12,000 times — from just 2 crore transactions in FY2016-17 to over 24,162 crore transactions in FY2025-26. In value terms, transactions have expanded more than 4,000 times, rising from ₹0.07 lakh crore to around ₹314 lakh crore during the same period.
According to the International Monetary Fund, UPI is the world’s largest real-time payment system by transaction volume.
This rapid scale-up highlights the platform’s role not only in everyday retail payments but also in higher-value transactions, making it a cornerstone of India’s digital public infrastructure.
With continued innovation and international expansion, UPI is expected to play an even larger role in shaping the future of global digital payments.
(With IANS inputs)
Published: 01 May 2026, 05:26 pm IST
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