Only in Bengaluru: Auto driver shows ‘UPI ka swag’; Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reacts

Bengaluru, India’s start-up capital, is no stranger to viral "peak Bengaluru" moments. The latest involves an auto-rickshaw driver who has embraced digital payments in a way that screams "only in Bengaluru." A photo of him using a smartwatch with a built-in QR code scanner to collect fares via UPI has taken the internet by storm.

MyGov India shared the picture on X (formerly Twitter), with the caption: “UPI Swag! Seamless payments, anytime, anywhere!” 

Naturally, the internet loved it. Users hailed the driver’s slick setup, praising Bengaluru for continuing to lead the charge in blending daily life with tech innovation. One user nailed it: “This is why Bengaluru is a tech city,” while another commented, “This is the magic of Digital India.”

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw couldn’t resist adding to the buzz, tweeting, “UPI का swag. Payments made super easy.” 

For the uninitiated, UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is a real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It lets you link multiple bank accounts to a single mobile app and transfer money in seconds.

UPI’s rise has been nothing short of spectacular. Adding 6 million new users every month, it processed a staggering ₹81 lakh crore worth of transactions from April to July this year—a 37 per cent jump from last year. NPCI CEO Dilip Asbe is bullish on its future, predicting UPI could hit 100 billion transactions over the next decade.

What if transaction fee is introduced?

A recent survey by LocalCircles reveals that a majority of UPI users may stop using the service if transaction fees are introduced. According to the survey, 75 per cent of respondents said they would no longer rely on UPI if charges are imposed. Currently, UPI is widely used for payments due to its ease of use and zero-cost transactions. Around 38 per cent of respondents use UPI for more than half of their payments, while 37 per cent rely on it for the bulk of their payment value. However, only 22 per cent of users are open to paying fees for UPI transactions.