Gandhinagar, June 16 (IANS) Gujarat has recorded significant expansion in digital banking penetration, with 6.99 crore savings accounts now enabled with at least one digital banking facility, according to the latest data from the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) as of March 31.

Officials associated with the data have indicated that the trend reflects the steady integration of banking services with digital platforms across the state, supported by expanded infrastructure and policy-driven financial inclusion measures.

The SLBC figures show that among total savings account holders in Gujarat, 70.49 per cent have debit cards, while 63.19 per cent use digital banking channels such as UPI, mobile banking, and USSD-based services, which allow transactions without internet connectivity.

In addition, 79.20 per cent of account holders use Aadhaar-enabled banking services, underscoring the role of identity-linked financial access in expanding outreach.

Under government-backed financial inclusion initiatives, Gujarat currently has 1,98,52,734 beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, alongside 1,51,79,955 RuPay cards issued across the state.

Banking sector officials note that the expansion of digital services has been accompanied by the wider adoption of cashless payment systems, particularly Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which has become a central component of retail digital transactions in India since its launch by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016.

National data show that UPI transactions have grown from from crore in 2016-17 to 24,162 crore in 2025-26, representing a 12,000-fold increase.

The total value of transactions has risen from Rs 0.07 lakh crore in 2016 to Rs 314 lakh crore in 2025-26, reflecting a 4,000-fold increase in transaction value over the period.

Officials familiar with the digital payments ecosystem have noted that India now processes an average of around 66 crore UPI transactions per day, with an average daily transaction value of approximately Rs 0.86 lakh crore.

The number of banks integrated into the UPI network has increased from 21 in 2016 to 703 by March this year.

UPI currently accounts for about 85 per cent of India’s digital payments ecosystem and is also used in several international markets, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, France, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Qatar.

Alongside the expansion of digital payments, India’s broader digital infrastructure has also grown substantially. Internet usage in the country has increased from around 25 crore users 12 years ago to more than 100 crore users at present.

The BharatNet programme, aimed at providing broadband connectivity to rural local bodies, has expanded from 546 gram panchayats a decade ago to approximately 2.14 lakh gram panchayats at present, according to official figures.

Officials stated that the combined expansion of digital banking access, payment systems and online service delivery has contributed to wider financial inclusion and improved access to government and banking services, including in Gujarat, where digital adoption indicators continue to show sustained growth across multiple channels.

–IANS

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