How has UPI transformed digital payments in India, and what was the situation before its launch?

Before UPI's launch in 2016, transferring funds required filling out cheques with the receiver's details and submitting them to banks, which was time-consuming and discouraged people from using banking services. This led to heavy reliance on cash, with billions of rupees used daily without records. The National Payments Corporation of India launched UPI as a fast and secure digital payment system. It allows effortless transactions using QR codes or phone numbers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, UPI gained popularity for supporting cashless transactions, and its user-friendly multilingual design makes it accessible to everyone.