DPI Brief — March 15, 2026
Today’s DPI Updates (7 Layers)
L1: Identity & Authentication
Aadhaar Continues Record-Breaking Authentication Growth
Aadhaar, India’s foundational digital identity infrastructure, has achieved remarkable milestones as of March 2025. The platform processed over 247 crore authentication transactions in March 2025 alone, contributing to a cumulative total exceeding 2,707 crore transactions throughout FY 2024-25. 1 Face authentication has emerged as a particularly dynamic segment, with 12.54 crore transactions recorded in February 2025, bringing the cumulative face authentication count to 115 crore. 2 The UIDAI-led initiative received the Prime Minister’s Award for Innovation, highlighting its growing adoption across banking, government services, and financial inclusion programs. The Aadhaar e-KYC framework processed 44.63 crore transactions in March 2025, facilitating streamlined identity verification for banking, telecom, and financial services sectors. 3
L2: Payments & Financial Rails
UPI Maintains Momentum with 20.4 Billion Monthly Transactions
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) continues to demonstrate robust growth, processing 20,394.18 million transactions worth ₹26,84,229.29 crore in February 2026. 4 Currently, 694 banks are live on the UPI platform, reflecting expanded participation across the banking ecosystem. 4 The government’s push for digital payments in rural and semi-urban areas received a significant boost with the Union Cabinet approving a ₹1,500 crore incentive scheme for FY 2024-25 to promote low-value BHIM-UPI transactions (P2M). 5 The scheme offers zero MDR on UPI transactions and a 0.15% incentive for transactions up to ₹2,000, specifically targeting small merchants in underserved regions. UPI’s international expansion continues with live operations in UAE and Singapore, with more countries reportedly in the pipeline.
L3: Documents & Data Exchange
DigiLocker Strengthens Digital Document Ecosystem
DigiLocker continues to serve as a critical component of India’s digital document infrastructure, enabling secure storage and sharing of official documents. The platform integrates with various government departments and service providers to facilitate paperless service delivery. As part of the broader DPI stack, DigiLocker works in conjunction with Aadhaar to provide seamless identity verification and document authentication capabilities. The government has emphasized DigiLocker’s role in enabling paperless governance and facilitating real-time verification for services ranging from education to healthcare.
L4: Commerce & Logistics
ONDC Expands to 616+ Cities with 16+ Million Orders
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has achieved significant scale expansion, now live across 616+ cities with 26 domains operational on the network. 6 The platform currently has 306 active network participants and 7.64+ lakh sellers/service providers onboarded. 6 ONDC has processed over 16 million total orders since inception, demonstrating growing adoption across retail, food delivery, mobility, and other sectors. 6 The network recently expanded into the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors through an MoU with FICCI. 7 Additionally, ONDC’s zero-commission SaaS model is charting a path for inclusive growth in India’s mobility ecosystem, as outlined in a whitepaper released earlier. 8
L5: Sectoral Infrastructure
ABHA Gains Traction in Healthcare Digitalization
The Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) continues to gain momentum as India’s unified health ID system. Integrated with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), ABHA enables citizens to create unique health IDs to access and share medical records across healthcare providers. The platform supports longitudinal health data management, enabling better clinical outcomes and streamlined healthcare delivery. ABHA works in conjunction with DigiLocker for document storage and Aadhaar for identity verification, creating a comprehensive healthcare DPI stack.
L6: Governance & Grievance
Digital Governance Initiatives Advance
India’s digital governance infrastructure continues to evolve with platforms like CPGRAMS (Central Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System) and eOffice facilitating paperless government operations. The JAM trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) remains foundational for direct benefit transfers and welfare delivery. Digital service delivery has expanded across multiple government touchpoints, with state governments increasingly adopting DPI components for efficient citizen services.
L7: Security, Privacy & Trust
DPIA Implementation Progresses
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) continues to shape India’s data privacy landscape. Implementation frameworks are being developed to ensure compliance across digital platforms handling personal data. CERT-In maintains vigilance over cybersecurity threats affecting DPI components, while TRAI regulates telecommunications infrastructure that underpins digital service delivery. The government continues to balance innovation with security considerations in its DPI development approach.