UPI powers half of world’s real-time transactions, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) now accounts for 50 per cent of all real-time transactions globally. Speaking from the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day, he said, “Our UPI platform feels like a wonder to the world today… we have the capability (to become self-reliant).”

Launched in 2016, UPI has grown rapidly in both transaction volume and value. In FY25, it recorded 18,587 crore transactions worth ₹261 lakh crore. In July 2025 alone, it processed 1,947 crore transactions. UPI is currently operational in seven countries — the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, and Mauritius. Its entry into France marks its first presence in Europe, enabling Indians there to make payments without the usual challenges of foreign transactions.

UPI is operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an initiative of the Reserve Bank of India and the Indian Banks’ Association, which manages retail payments and settlement systems in the country.


In his address, Modi also spoke about the PM Mudra Yojana, saying crores of people have benefited by starting small businesses. “Through their small enterprises, they have been able to create jobs,” he said. The scheme offers collateral-free loans of up to ₹20 lakh through Member Lending Institutions to micro and small business units across manufacturing, trading, services, and allied agricultural activities.