Daily Brief

DPI Brief — June 11, 2026 TRAI V2X Consultation: Telcos Push for Spectrum Auction Over Direct Allocation The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has kicked off a consultation on a framework for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication — and India’s leading telcos are already staking their claim. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, submitted its response this week arguing that V2X spectrum should be auctioned commercially under the “same service, same rules” principle, rather than specially allocated to automotive or technology firms. ...

DPI Brief — June 10, 2026 MeitY Pushes States to Adopt App-Based Aadhaar Verification for Citizen Services The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has written to Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories, urging them to adopt UIDAI’s recently launched app-based Aadhaar verification system for citizen-facing services. The recommended use cases span hotel and guest house registration, visitor management at government offices, hospital patient verification, and examination candidate checks. The system works via a QR code flow: the verifying entity generates a code, the citizen scans it using the Aadhaar app, and basic identity details (name, age, mobile number, photograph) are displayed on screen — eliminating the need for physical photocopies. This directly addresses documented fraud cases where Aadhaar photocopies collected on false pretences were used to obtain loans or purchase goods. Institutions adopting this system must register with UIDAI under the Aadhaar (Authentication and Offline Verification) Amendment Regulations, 2025, notified via Gazette on 9 December 2025. Delhi has already directed its police, Home Guards, forensic labs, courts, and fire services to adopt the mechanism, signalling early traction. ...

DPI Brief — June 09, 2026 1. UPI Goes Live in Cambodia — Ninth International Destination India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has formally gone live in Cambodia, making it the ninth country where Indian travellers can scan-and-pay using their existing UPI apps. The cross-border QR payment corridor was launched on June 2, 2026, in Phnom Penh through a partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and ACLEDA Bank Plc., under the aegis of the Reserve Bank of India and the National Bank of Cambodia. ...

DPI Brief — June 07, 2026 1. UPI Hits Record ₹29.9 Lakh Crore in May — L2 Payments UPI transactions surged to an all-time high in May 2026, processing 23.2 billion transactions worth ₹29.90 lakh crore (~US$312 billion), according to NPCI data. Volume rose 4% month-on-month from 22.35 billion in April, while value climbed 3% from ₹29.03 lakh crore. On a year-on-year basis, value grew 19% and volume 24%. Summer travel, IPL 2026 spending, and seasonal consumer activity drove the uptick after April saw a minor dip. PhonePe continued to dominate with 46.2% of transaction volume, while high-value transactions are increasingly shifting to credit-on-UPI — credit card transaction value has grown from ₹8.9 lakh crore in 2021 to ₹23.2 lakh crore in 2025. The trajectory keeps UPI on track to cross ₹30 lakh crore monthly in the near term. ...

DPI Brief — June 06, 2026 1. UPI Crosses 23 Billion Monthly Transactions for the First Time [L2 — Payments] Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processed a record 23.2 billion transactions worth ₹29.9 lakh crore (US$312 billion) in May 2026, according to data released by NPCI. This is the first time the real-time payment network has crossed the 23 billion monthly threshold. Transaction volume grew 3.8% month-on-month from April’s 22.35 billion, while value rose 3.4%. Summer travel demand and IPL season spending were key demand drivers. On average, UPI handled nearly 748 million transactions daily worth around ₹96,465 crore. The continued expansion of credit-on-UPI services and growing international UPI acceptance are expected to sustain this trajectory. ...

DPI Brief — June 05, 2026 UPI Notches Record Month as Cambodia Link Goes Live; New Beneficiary Verification Rule Takes Effect India’s digital payments backbone continues its relentless expansion. UPI processed a record ₹29.90 trillion across 23.20 billion transactions in May 2026 — both all-time highs — underscoring the platform’s deepening grip on everyday commerce. The milestone was confirmed by the Reserve Bank of India in its latest monthly data release. [^1] ...

DPI Brief — June 04, 2026 UPI Goes Live in Cambodia — India’s Cross-Border Payment Push Expands India and Cambodia have officially launched UPI–KHQR cross-border QR payment connectivity, enabling Indian travellers to make real-time QR code-based payments at over 4.5 million merchants across Cambodia. The first phase, operational from 2 June 2026, was rolled out through a partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and ACLEDA Bank Plc, under the guidance of the Reserve Bank of India and the National Bank of Cambodia. ...

DPI Brief — June 03, 2026 UIDAI Phases Out mAadhaar, Launches New Aadhaar App with Face Authentication and Privacy Controls Layer 1 — Identity The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has begun urging users to migrate from the legacy mAadhaar application to a completely redesigned Aadhaar app, confirming that the old platform is nearing end-of-life. The new app introduces three significant capabilities absent from mAadhaar: QR code-based Aadhaar sharing for selective data disclosure, face authentication as an additional verification method, and enhanced biometric lock/unlock controls. ...

DPI Brief — June 02, 2026 UPI Records Its Biggest-Ever Month at ₹29.90 Lakh Crore India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) posted its highest-ever monthly figures in May, processing 23.2 billion transactions worth ₹29.90 lakh crore, according to NPCI data released on June 1. This represents a 19% year-on-year increase from ₹25.14 lakh crore in May 2025, and a month-on-month improvement over April’s 22.35 billion transactions worth ₹29.03 lakh crore. Summer travel, IPL 2026, and seasonal consumer spending were key growth drivers. The average UPI ticket size has steadily declined from ₹1,848 in 2021 to ₹1,313 in 2025, reflecting the system’s deepening penetration into micropayments and everyday retail. UPI now accounts for an estimated 85.5% of total retail digital transaction volume, cementing its position as the backbone of India’s digital payments ecosystem. [Times of India] ...

DPI Brief — May 20, 2026 Key Developments Across India’s Digital Public Infrastructure 1. Identity Layer: UIDAI Extends Free Document Update Facility Till June 2027 The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has announced a significant extension to its free online document update service. Based on an official office memorandum dated May 13, 2026, Aadhaar holders can now update proof of identity (PoI) and proof of address (PoA) documents through the myAadhaar portal free of cost until June 14, 20271. ...