DPI Brief — July 02, 2026
Digital India Completes 11 Years; PIB Releases Comprehensive Status Report
The Digital India Programme marked its 11th anniversary on July 1, 2026, with the Press Information Bureau releasing a detailed status report documenting the programme’s evolution from an internet connectivity initiative into the world’s largest Digital Public Infrastructure ecosystem. The report highlights that platforms including Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, CoWIN, GeM, and eSanjeevani have become global models for citizen-centric digital service delivery. According to the PIB, ONDC — the Open Network for Digital Commerce — has scaled to over 20 crore buyers and 5 lakh sellers across 1,000 cities, processing approximately 90 lakh transactions monthly as of June 2026. The 11-year milestone underscores how Digital India has moved from connectivity to governance, commerce, and public service transformation.
NPCI Partners HSBC and JP Morgan for Real-Time FX on International UPI
In a significant move to accelerate cross-border UPI adoption, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced separate strategic partnerships with HSBC India and J.P. Morgan Payments to enable real-time foreign exchange conversion and settlement for international UPI transactions. The HSBC collaboration will leverage the bank’s global FX infrastructure to offer live exchange rates and transparent pricing for Indians making payments overseas, while the J.P. Morgan partnership combines NPCI’s UPI rail with the bank’s FX and API capabilities. The partnerships aim to reduce settlement friction and make international UPI payments faster and more cost-competitive, addressing a key pain point in the current cross-border remittance and payment flow.
UPI Goes Live in Greece; June Transactions Hit ₹28.9 Lakh Crore
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced the launch of UPI in Greece during his official visit to Athens, expanding India’s digital payment system to 10 countries globally. UPI transactions moderated slightly from May’s record high of ₹29.9 lakh crore to ₹28.9 lakh crore in June, still registering a 20% year-on-year growth. Notably, the daily average for June stood at 757 million transactions — the highest-ever recorded since UPI’s inception — indicating that even as monthly totals fluctuate with seasonal patterns, underlying usage intensity continues to strengthen. Greece marks a meaningful European expansion, adding to UPI’s footprint in travel-heavy markets.
UIDAI Retires mAadhaar App; Launches New Aadhaar App with Enhanced Features
Effective July 1, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) officially retired the mAadhaar application and launched a new, upgraded Aadhaar App. The new app introduces face authentication for identity verification, QR code-based credential sharing, an Aadhaar lock/unlock feature, and a more privacy-preserving architecture. Crucially, UIDAI clarified that existing Aadhaar records are not deleted — the app is merely a service access point, and all data remains secure in the central UIDAI database. Separately, UIDAI has waived the ₹75 fee for updating registered email addresses on Aadhaar from July 1 to December 31, 2026, encouraging citizens to keep their demographic records current.
MSME Global Mart 2.0 Launches with ONDC Integration; eSARAS Expands Rural Reach
On World MSME Day (June 27), the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises unveiled a suite of next-generation digital platforms, headlined by MSME Global Mart 2.0 — a digital commerce and trade facilitation platform integrated with ONDC that enables MSMEs to connect with domestic and international buyers. The platform aims to simplify market access for India’s 7.4 crore registered MSMEs. Separately, the eSARAS platform — connecting women-led Self-Help Groups to national markets — continues to expand, linking thousands of rural artisans with digital commerce infrastructure and institutional support for inclusive growth.
Sources: PIB India (Press Release), Economic Times (NPCI-HSBC-JPMorgan, UPI June Data, UPI in Greece, New Aadhaar App), Business Standard (eSARAS), UIDAI (Official Site)