UPI இந்தியாவின் கட்டண முறையை எப்படி மாற்றியது

UPI — the Unified Payments Interface — is a real-time payment system built by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and launched in April 2016. It now processes more transactions per month than Visa or Mastercard worldwide, transformed how nearly a billion Indians pay for goods.

UPI — Unified Payments Interface — National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) கட்டிய நேரடி கட்டண அமைப்பு. 2016 ஏப்ரலில் தொடங்கப்பட்டது. இப்போது மாதம்தோறும் Visa அல்லது Mastercard-ஐ விட அதிக பரிவர்த்தனைகளை செயல்படுத்துகிறது. சுமார் ஒரு பில்லியன் இந்தியர்கள் பணம் செலுத்தும் முறையை மாற்றியுள்ளது.

How UPI works (in simple terms)

Before UPI, transferring money required IFSC codes, account numbers, and bank-specific apps. UPI introduced the "Virtual Payment Address" (VPA) — like an email address for money. You give someone your VPA (e.g. yourname@oksbi or 9876543210@paytm), and they can pay you directly to your bank account. The transaction is instant, free for individuals, and works 24×7.

The UPI stack

UPI sits on top of the older IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) infrastructure. NPCI runs the central switch that routes payments between sender and receiver banks. Apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM, and Amazon Pay are just user interfaces — the real plumbing is the same UPI network underneath. This is why a Google Pay user can pay a PhonePe user instantly.

UPI 2.0, AutoPay and beyond

UPI 2.0 (2018) added overdrafts, signed intents, and one-time mandates. UPI AutoPay (2020) lets you set up recurring payments — for Netflix subscriptions, gym memberships, EMIs. UPI Lite (2022) allows tiny transactions (under ₹500) without a PIN, processed instantly without burdening core banking systems. UPI on Credit (2023) lets you make UPI payments against your credit card or RuPay credit line.

Going global

UPI is now accepted in Singapore (PayNow link), UAE, France, Mauritius, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Indian travellers can use UPI in these countries; merchants can receive UPI from Indian visitors. NPCI is in talks with several other countries to expand further.

What's next

NPCI is working on UPI Circle (delegating payments to family members), conversational UPI (using AI for natural-language transactions), and expanding international corridors. The system processes about 11 billion transactions per month — a number that continues to grow about 50% year-on-year.

UPI is now studied as a model by central banks worldwide. Brazil's PIX, Thailand's PromptPay, and Singapore's PayNow all draw inspiration from it. Its success rests on three principles: it's free for users, it's open (any bank or app can join), and it works in real-time.