UPI completes 10 years; 24,162 crore transactions worth ₹314 lakh crore in FY 2025–26
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched by NPCI on 11 April 2016, completed 10 years with over 24,162 crore transactions worth about ₹314 lakh crore in FY 2025–26, 700+ banks onboard and nearly 49% of global real-time payments.
Summary
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has completed 10 years, the Ministry of Finance said on 30 April 2026. UPI was launched on 11 April 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) under the regulatory oversight of the Reserve Bank of India. Annual volume grew from 2 crore transactions in FY 2016–17 to over 24,162 crore in FY 2025–26, an almost 12,000-fold rise, while value rose from ₹0.07 lakh crore to about ₹314 lakh crore, a more than 4,000-fold increase. Over 700 banks are now onboard, UPI captures nearly 49% of global real-time payments, and the IMF has acknowledged it as the world's largest real-time payment system by transaction volume.
Key facts
- Launched
- 11 April 2016, by NPCI (RBI oversight)
- FY 2025–26 volume
- Over 24,162 crore transactions (~12,000-fold rise since FY17)
- FY 2025–26 value
- About ₹314 lakh crore
- Daily average (FY26)
- 66 crore transactions; ₹0.86 lakh crore
- Banks
- 700+ (from 21 in 2016)
- Global share
- Nearly 49% of real-time payments
Practice MCQs 3 questions
On which date was the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) launched by NPCI?
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Correct answer: A — 11 April 2016
UPI was launched on 11 April 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India under RBI's regulatory oversight.
As per the Finance Ministry's 10-year note, what was UPI's approximate transaction value in FY 2025–26?
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Correct answer: D — ₹314 lakh crore
Transaction value rose from ₹0.07 lakh crore in FY 2016–17 to approximately ₹314 lakh crore in FY 2025–26.
Consider the following statements about UPI as of its 10th anniversary in April 2026: 1. Over 700 banks are onboarded on UPI. 2. UPI captures nearly 49% of global real-time payments. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct as per the Finance Ministry's release of 30 April 2026.