In 2023, it processed over 74 billion digital transactions, marking an increase of 50 percent from the previous year — a massive transformation into a cashless economy. The article analyzes the fast-moving and dynamic landscape of digital payments in India, tracing its historical development, state initiative, technological advancement, market trend, consumer behavior, and future opportunities.
Historical Background
Digital payments in India picked up only in the early 2000s because of internet banking. Some other prominent landmarks were the launch of mobile wallets like Paytm on the mobile platform and the introduction of UPI in 2016.
Background Information
The scenario of digital payments in India is currently very dynamic, driven mostly by players like Paytm, Google Pay, PhonePe, and the government-backed BHIM app. It projects to reach a market size of US$10 trillion by 2026.
Digital India Campaign
The flagship program of the Indian government in its digital transformation strategy that started in 2015 was the Digital India program. The main objective, as described here, was to provide support for the digital infrastructure and help better connectivity throughout the country. Being such an ambitious campaign, it has sent ripples in many sections, one of them being digital payment.
The overall objective of the program Digital India is to empower people through digital technology, bridging the gap by further ensuring equity in access to information and services. This provided the initial setup for a strong digital infrastructure with high-speed internet connectivity across rural and urban regions, hence establishing an enabling environment for the wide reach of digital payments.
The digital literacy movement in India has direly pushed more and more people toward the adoption of digital payments. In fact, with a growing internet user population and access to smartphones, digitization in a country like India saw millions of Indians jump on the wagon with the digital payment method to get them closer to a cashless economy.
Demonetization
India did something audacious and critical in November 2016, the government demonetized Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 denomination currency notes. According to the government, the intention of this step was to restrict black money, counterfeit currency, and corruption. However, its impact was majorly seen on the digital payment space.
Overnight, Indians were forced to opt for digital payment modes due to the lack of currency notes. That resulted in several digital channels — the medium of mobile wallets, UPI, and online banking services — multiplied severalfold overnight. This sudden spurt in digital transactions revealed a need for strong, secure, and efficient digital payment systems. This, in many ways, accelerated the development and uptake of digital payment technologies.
RBI Regulatory Framework
The guideline on regulation of digital payment in India is coming from the Reserve Bank of India to ensure steadiness, security, and innovation in the sector.
The RBI introduced the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund, which would be used towards the infrastructure development of digital payment in various underserved areas of the country. This would provide incentives to banks and payment service providers to expand their reach and connectivity, especially in rural and remote areas.
The Reserve Bank of India had issued a warning about strict guidelines for digital transaction security, powerful cyber security measures, two-factor authentications, and encryption protocols. This would increase confidence and trust in digital transactions among consumers as well as businesses.
UPI: The product of NPCI, introduced in 2016, allows for instant money transfers between banks with the help of a mobile device. The simplicity and interoperability of this channel have made it the bedrock of India's digital payment system.
Mobile wallets like Paytm, Google Pay, and PhonePe provide facilities for bill payments, money transfers, and QR-code-based transfers that gain them fame amongst users.
Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: Blockchain technology pledges advanced digital transaction security and transparency; at the same time, Cryptocurrencies may change the way digital payments in the future which is still not mainstream.
Contactless Payment
At the very forefront, Near Field Communication- and quick response code-based payments proliferation increased in the wake of Character content in Corona Virus times.
Buy Now, Pay Later
It is the BNPL services, which players like Simpl and LazyPay have made a success story of, as it gives the consumer flexibility on their purchase decision while deferring their payment falling due and also sans any interest levy.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being used for fraud detection optimization, personalization of the user experience, and robotization of customer service in digital payments.
Changing preferences
Increasingly, consumers are being inclined toward the use of digital payments because of their convenience, speed, and the ease with which expenses can be tracked.
Trust and Security
Setting up two-factor authentication, biometric verification, and other advanced security measures to engender trust in digital payments among consumers.
Financial Inclusion
Digital payments have been at the forefront of the runes to achieve financial inclusion, meant to extend access to financial services among several unbanked and underbanked populations.
Published by Statista Research Dept., Apr 11, 2024: As of January 2024, BHIM Unified Payments Interface topped the transaction volumes for digital payments in India, at about 81 billion transactions; the next in line was about four billion PPI transactions. UPI contributed the lion's share of transactions across sectors such as online retail, food delivery, mobility, and e-health in FY 2023.
In a survey conducted from April 2023 to March 2024, some 46% of Indian respondents reported having paid with their smartphone for food and drinks in restaurants at least once during the past 12 months.
In FY 2024, BHIM UPI's share of the Bharat Interface for Money app using Unified Payments Interface was more than 67 percent in India, the highest compared to other payment systems. UPI denotes an instant real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India aimed at facilitating interbank transactions.
There are innumerable methods of money transfer in the modern banking setup today. From cash-based to card-based and mobile payments, India has evolved a vast network of payment systems.
Infrastructure Issues
Challenges such as spotty internet access and low levels of digital literacy in rural areas remain the main barriers to wide-reaching adoption, despite growth.
Cybersecurity Threats
With the increased level of digital transactions comes greater risks regarding cybersecurity threats. Extremely vital measures thus entail embedding robust encryption, regular security audits, and user education.
Upcoming Opportunities
Various other opportunities will also open up in the near future, such as integration with IoT devices, a likely Central Bank Digital Currency, and the spread of digital payment services to rural areas.
The fintech space in India has shown a tremendous spurt with many such unicorn startups; several such companies have crossed a valuation of more than one billion USD. As of the first half of FY 2022, Paytm led the chart with a valuation worth over fourteenth billion USD.
Revenue from Operations of Paytm FY 2017-2023
Paytm, one of India's biggest digital payment platforms, has been seen as one of the fastest-growing reasons for its increasing revenue from operations over the years. The company recorded a 60.6 percent increase in revenue from operations at ₹7,990 crore in FY 2023 as against ₹4,974 crore in FY 2022. This could be on the back of increasing adoption of digital payments and expansion in the services offered by Paytm.
Revenue of MobiKwik FY 2017-2023
Now, one of the larger digital payments players, MobiKwik, has been consistently growing its revenue. MobiKwik clocked revenues of ₹560 crore in FY 2023, compared to a tad higher figure in FY 2022. The company focused on disseminating wallet services and forayed into new areas to chalk out growth.
BillDesk's Operating Revenue FY 2019-2023
BillDesk, one of the well-known Indian B2B Fintech companies, announced an operational revenue of ₹2,678 crores in FY 2023, compared to Rs 2,442 crore reported in the previous year. While the profitability had waned, the proposition had established its two founder companies as important players in the digital payments landscape with millions of businesses now dependent on their payment gateway solutions.
For the country, digital payment systems and wallets emerged as the largest area for private equity and venture capital investments in 2022. The transactions mean that Pine Labs received the most amounts of investment in this period with PE/VC deals worth $ 150 million. Razorpay followed closely behind, with a US$75 million infusion. Such investments depict the growing interest and faith shown in India's fintech space.
The Indian digital payment system is getting fast-tracked on the wheels of technological advancements, pro-active government policy, and changing consumer behavior. Understanding these developments is all but crucial so that stakeholders can make their way up the value chain, tapping further into the abundant opportunities this dynamic market has to offer.
The Digital India campaign, launched in 2015, aimed to enhance digital infrastructure and internet connectivity nationwide. It significantly boosted digital payments by improving access to technology and fostering digital literacy.
Demonetization in 2016 accelerated the adoption of digital payments as people turned to mobile wallets, UPI, and online banking due to a shortage of physical currency. This event marked a pivotal shift towards digital transactions in India.
The RBI introduced the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) to expand digital payment infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas. It also enforces strict guidelines for secure transactions to enhance consumer trust and system reliability.
Technologies like UPI, mobile wallets (e.g., Paytm, Google Pay), and advancements in blockchain for security are transforming digital payments in India. These innovations offer convenient, secure, and efficient payment solutions to users.
Trends include the rise of contactless payments, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services, and the integration of AI for fraud detection and personalized user experiences. Future opportunities include IoT integration, potential CBDC adoption, and expanding services to rural areas.