India’s digital payment tool, UPI, has grown into a payment juggernaut. It’s so popular that nearly 55.49 crore users joined the platform by June 2026. The National Payments Corporation of India runs this payment system, and a federal law from 2007 approved it.
Pankaj Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Finance, shared these numbers in parliament. He explained how the payment network has expanded quickly over the years.
How UPI transactions grew over five years
The table below shows how much money users sent and how many transactions they made over the past five years.
| Financial year | Number of transactions (in crores) | Total value (in lakh crores) |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 to 2022 | 4,595.61 | 84.16 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 8,371.44 | 139.15 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 13,112.95 | 199.95 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 18,586.60 | 260.56 |
| 2025 to 2026 | 24,161.69 | 314.23 |
In April 2020, NPCI started a new branch called NPCI International Payments Limited. NPCI owns this branch completely. The branch works with foreign groups to launch UPI and RuPay cards in other countries. This setup lets Indian tourists and families abroad send money easily. It also helps other countries build their own quick payment systems.
How the government makes UPI safe
The government, the central bank, and NPCI work together to make UPI safe and clear. They started several protective steps recently. For example, they set money limits on risky transactions to stop scammers. They also blocked people from changing phone numbers on accounts without permission. They stopped bad actors from tricking the system using text messages to log in. Also, they created strict safety rules for all mobile apps that use UPI.
NPCI also released two major security handbooks. These are the Comprehensive UPI Information Security Framework from 2025 and the Mobile Application Security Framework. These handbooks force apps to use advanced safety tools. This strengthens the entire payment network.
Where you can use UPI outside India
UPI connects with payment networks in several other countries. This connection lets users send money directly to people or pay businesses abroad. The table below lists the partner countries and the foreign banks that work with UPI.
| Country | Type of payment | Foreign partner | Launch date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhutan | Paying businesses | RMA Bhutan | July 2021 |
| Singapore | Paying businesses | NETS Singapore, HitPay, and LiquidPay | August 2021 |
| United Arab Emirates | Paying businesses | Mashreq Bank, Network International, and Magnati | April 2022 |
| Singapore | Sending money to people | BCS Paynow | February 2023 |
| France | Paying businesses | LYRA Network | February 2024 |
| Mauritius | Paying businesses | Bank of Mauritius | February 2024 |
| Sri Lanka | Paying businesses | Lanka Pay | February 2024 |
| Nepal | Paying businesses | FonePay Payment Services | March 2024 |
| Qatar | Paying businesses | Qatar National Bank | September 2025 |
| Greece | Sending money to people | Eurobank | May 2026 |
| Nepal | Sending money to people | Nepal Clearing House | June 2026 |
| Cambodia | Paying businesses | Acleda Bank | June 2026 |
Cambodia joined the list of countries using the payment tool in June 2026.
