Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Launches 'Digital Payments Utsav' The minister also mentioned that the Prime Minister's Vision of the digital revolution is having a transformative impact on the hard-to-reach people in the country
By Teena Jose
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The Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Communications and Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the 'Digital Payments Utsav', a comprehensive campaign aimed at promoting digital payments across India, according to a PIB report. The event reportedly saw participation from Alkesh Kumar Sharma (secretary, MeitY), Simmi Choudhary (economic advisor, MeitY), Sanjay Bahl (director general, CERT-In), Akash Tripathi (CEO, MyGov) and Dilip Abse (MD and CEO, NPCI) among other dignitaries.
The 'Digital Payments Utsav' is an extraordinary campaign that will showcase India's journey of digital transformation, with a series of events and initiatives to be held from 9th February to 9th October 2023. The focus of the campaign will be on promoting digital payments in the country, especially in the cities of Lucknow, Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, as part of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) event, as per the report.
Highlighting the vision of the complete rollout of digital credit system in 2023, Ashwini Vaishnaw directed the NPCI to take lead in the direction, and also wished all the banks a great success and mentioned that the Prime Minister's Vision of the digital revolution is having a transformative impact on the hard-to-reach people in the country.
Moreover, he also informed that Mission Bhashini – National Language Translation Mission and Digital Payments have come together to make 'UPI 123 Pay' available in local language which will reportedly enable a common person to make payments in his/her local language interface through voice.
Through UPI 123PAY, feature phone users will now be able to undertake a host of transactions based on four technology alternatives. They include calling an IVR (interactive voice response) number, app functionality in feature phones, missed call-based approach and also proximity sound-based payments, as per NPCI website.
"The focus of UPI is on connecting the unconnected areas of India and making UPI a global payment method. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has already taken steps in this direction by partnering with countries such as Nepal, Singapore, Bhutan, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. Also, the UPI services will soon be available to non-resident Indians (NRIs) living in 10 countries: Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, the UK, and the USA," said Alkesh Kumar Sharma, secretary, MeitY, in a statement while signifying the ongoing efforts of UPI to reach India and beyond.
The reports further stated that several significant initiatives were launched during the event, including a G20 Co-branded QR code, a G20 edition of the preloaded RuPay on-the-go device, innovative products from banks and fintechs, a joint campaign by MeitY and Delhi Police to promote secure digital payments, and a coffee table book titled 'Towards a Developed India Catalysing Inclusive Growth Through Digital Payments.'
