'I've switched to BHIM now': Anand Mahindra reveals what changed his mind about the UPI app

Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra has revealed that he has switched to the BHIM payments app after a conversation with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) Managing Director and CEO Dilip Asbe.

In a post on Monday, Mahindra recalled being asked which payments app he used. When he answered, his friend asked, "Why not use BHIM, our very own Indian app?" Mahindra admitted he knew little about it, prompting his friend to introduce him to Asbe.

BHIM, short for Bharat Interface for Money, is an Indian digital payments application developed by NPCI. Launched in December 2016, the app enables users to send and receive money directly between bank accounts through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Unlike payment platforms such as PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm, BHIM is NPCI's own consumer-facing UPI application.

The industrialist said his conversation with Asbe helped him better understand the distinction between the payment applications consumers use and the infrastructure that makes those transactions possible. 

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"We all know the payment apps we use every day. PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, BHIM… But think of them as trains running on a railway network. NPCI provides the tracks. And what an extraordinary railway India has built!" he said.

To illustrate the scale of that infrastructure, Mahindra pointed to the more than 2,400 crore UPI transactions processed in September, equivalent to more than 80 crore transactions a day. The figures, he suggested, reflected the extraordinary reach of a system that has become central to how Indians pay for goods and services.

"India is now the world's largest real-time payments market. A true global force multiplier," he said, describing Asbe as one of the key individuals behind that achievement.

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The discussion also touched on NPCI's plans to expand the infrastructure supporting digital financial services. Mahindra said Asbe was already thinking about building additional systems that could enable new applications in other areas of finance, extending the approach that helped UPI achieve widespread adoption.

"His mind is buzzing with plans to build more 'railroads' that will enable new apps in wider financial spheres," Mahindra stated.

He said he was struck instead by Asbe's modesty, particularly given his prominent role in the country's financial technology ecosystem. "But here's what struck me most about him. Not the scale of his achievement. Not his knowledge of the technology. His humility."

The veteran entrepreneur described Asbe as a leader who appeared more interested in the work of his organisation than in receiving recognition for his own contribution.

"Dilip is well known in financial & technology circles. But I met a man with no airs, no sense of self-importance & seemingly little interest in the spotlight. Just immense pride in what his team has accomplished & a genuine sense of privilege at being able to serve his country," he wrote.

Mahindra said Asbe appeared more interested in his team's achievements than in personal recognition. He also recalled learning that Asbe's mother was a teacher, wondering whether her influence had helped shape his grounded personality.

"People like him derive their satisfaction not from being seen, but from seeing their work make a difference," Mahindra observed.

The industrialist thanked Asbe for showing him that ambition and humility could coexist. "And I've switched to the BHIM app now!"