There has been an increase in digital payments across the country since 2016. The number of digital transactions in 2016-17 was 1,013 crore, which increased to 3,134 crore in 2018-19.

This year, till September 11, 1,527 crore digital transactions have taken place.

Interestingly, the popularity of Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) payment app is multiplying, when compared to other digital payment modes. Only 4.41 per cent of the total digital transactions were made through this app in 2017-18, while in 2018-19, it rose to 17.8 per cent. Pioneered and developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), BHIM was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2016, with the aim of bringing in “financial inclusion to the nation and a digitally empowered society”.

The data presented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to the Rajya Sabha in July and the data on the Digidhan Dashboard of the ministry reveal that the popularity of digital payment is slowly but steadily gaining roots. The Finance Minister, in his Budget speech of 2017-18, had announced a target of 2,500 crore digital transaction for 2017-18. The target achieved was 2,070.39 crore.

The ministry informed the Rajya Sabha that the ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) scheme would cover six crore rural households (one person per household) by March 2020 to spread digital literacy.