DPI Brief — July 23, 2026

L2: UPI Crosses 55.5 Crore Users, ₹314 Lakh Crore in FY26 Transactions

The government informed the Lok Sabha that UPI user base reached 55.49 crore as of June 2026, with FY26 processing 24,161.69 crore transactions worth ₹314.23 lakh crore — up 30% in volume and 20.6% in value over FY25 (₹260.56 lakh crore). Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary outlined security measures including risk-based transaction limits by RBI and NPCI. The data was shared in response to a parliamentary question covering state-wise user adoption and fraud mitigation steps.

L2: NPCI Developing NFC-Based Offline UPI for PoS Payments Up to ₹2,000

NPCI is building a new offline tap-to-pay capability using NFC technology that would let users make UPI payments without internet connectivity. The proposed system requires users to pre-load funds into a UPI Lite wallet while online, then tap an NFC-enabled smartphone on NPCI-certified offline PoS terminals. Transactions would be capped at ₹2,000 and settled once connectivity is restored. This targets use cases in metros, underground locations, and areas with weak mobile coverage. NPCI has not yet published operational guidelines, and the feature must align with RBI existing offline payment consent requirements.

Following Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal visit, India and Spain have agreed to accelerate technical talks on linking UPI with Bizum, Spain domestic digital payments platform. If finalised, Spain would become the 11th country where Indian travellers can use UPI, joining Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, UAE, Singapore, Mauritius, and others. Greece became the latest addition on June 30, 2026, through a partnership between Eurobank and NPCI International. The expansion is being driven by NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), NPCI wholly-owned subsidiary for global partnerships.

L1: Aadhaar App Crosses 4 Crore Downloads

The official Aadhaar app by UIDAI has surpassed 4 crore downloads on app stores, cementing its role as a key digital identity service platform. The app allows users to download Aadhaar cards, update addresses, enable biometric locking, and share identity credentials — all from a mobile device. The milestone reflects growing adoption of digital identity services beyond the core Aadhaar authentication layer, as more citizens access eKYC and document services directly through mobile apps.

L4: Food Delivery Apps Sustain Cockroach Janta Party Protests at Jantar Mantar

While not a platform update, the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party protests in New Delhi are being sustained through India digital commerce infrastructure. A steady stream of food delivery riders from platforms like Zomato and Swiggy are delivering meals, snacks, and water to protesters at Jantar Mantar — ordered by supporters from across the country through ONDC-connected and proprietary food delivery apps. The protests, now in their third day, demonstrate how India L4 commerce layer functions as ad-hoc logistics infrastructure for citizen mobilisation.

Sources: Lok Sabha/Ministry of Finance, NPCI, CNBC TV18, Convergence Now, Reuters, Economic Times