India’s payments ecosystem has witnessed a remarkable transformation in 2025, with digital payments accounting for 99.8% of transaction volume and 97.7% of value in the first half of the year. UPI leads retail transactions, while innovations like biometric authentication and credit card integration fuel momentum.
The Indian payments landscape in 2025 shows a distinct and accelerating deviation towards digital payment modes, marking a significant evolution in how financial transactions are conducted. According to the Reserve Bank of India’s Payment System Report for H1 2025, digital payments constituted 99.8% of total transactions by volume and 97.7% by value.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) continues to dominate, driving about 85% of retail payment volumes with over 10,637 crore transactions processed in H1 alone. The ecosystem benefits from technological innovations including biometric authentication, AI-enabled fraud prevention, and emerging use cases like enabling credit lines via UPI and the integration of RuPay credit cards, which promote further adoption.
Despite the dominance of digital, cash remains a significant part of the economy in semi-urban and rural areas, making the payments ecosystem a hybrid one. The continuous growth in digital transactions and infrastructure reflects India’s ongoing journey toward a digitally empowered economy.
Notable Updates:
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Digital payments comprised 99.8% of transaction volume and 97.7% of value in H1 2025.
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UPI leads retail payments, accounting for roughly 85% of volumes.
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Innovations such as biometric authentication and AI fraud detection enhance security and user experience.
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Integration of RuPay credit cards with UPI drives credit transaction growth.
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Cash remains prevalent in rural and semi-urban areas, sustaining a hybrid payment ecosystem.
Sources: Reserve Bank of India Payment System Report H1 2025, PwC Indian Payments Handbook 2025-2030, Moneycontrol, Financial Express.