In the midst of a spike in digital payments, with over four out of every five payments in the country done via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in FY24, UPI has emerged as the dominating force driving financial inclusion, merchant adoption, and cross-border transactions.

According to a new industry report, UPI now accounts for 84 percent of all digital transactions in India.

According to a report by fintech consulting and advising firm The Digital Fifth, UPI is more than simply a payment system; it is a whole financial ecosystem that is transforming India’s digital economy.

“With UPI handling 16 billion transactions per month and expected to triple by the end of 2030, the role of robust, high-resilience switching infrastructure becomes paramount,” says Sameer Singh Jaini, Founder and CEO of The Digital Fifth.

Real-time fraud detection, cloud-native architecture, and scalable, dual-core switches are no longer options; they are required to ensure seamless, safe, and fail-proof digital payments as India progresses toward a completely cashless, globally linked economy, he stated.

Between 2021 and 2024, UPI transactions increased fourfold, reaching 172 billion per year. It now dominates digital payments, outperforming card-based and wallet transactions.

With over 30 million merchants onboarded on UPI, the merchant-to-consumer (P2M) segment is increasing at a 67% annual rate, exceeding peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions and signaling UPI’s transition into the primary retail payment system, the report stated.

According to the RBI, digital payments in India grew by 11.1% year on year (YoY) in September 2024.According to the analysis, the UPI’s share of the country’s digital payments has increased from 34% in 2019 to an outstanding 83% in 2024, with a spectacular CAGR (cumulative average growth rate) of 74% over the last five years.

At the macro level, the volume of UPI transactions grew from 375 crore in 2018 to 17,221 crore in 2024, while the total value of transactions went from Rs 5.86 lakh crore in 2018 to Rs 246.83 lakh crore in 2024.

On February 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open the highly anticipated first edition of the SOUL (School of Ultimate Leadership) Leadership Conclave at the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital. On this occasion, PM Modi will also address the audience, sharing insights on the importance of leadership in today’s world.

The two-day conclave, which begins on February 21, will provide a prime forum for leaders from a variety of fields, including politics, sports, arts and media, the spiritual realm, public policy, business, and the social sector. These notable individuals will share their remarkable life stories and highlight key areas of leadership in order to motivate young audiences.

The conclave aims to create an ecology of collaboration and thought leadership. The program will teach the next generation of leaders significant lessons from both mistakes and accomplishments. Attendees will benefit from the different experiences and expertise of the speakers.

Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay will make the keynote address and serve as the conclave’s Guest of Honor. His address will emphasize the role of leadership in promoting societal change and growth.

Earlier, PM Modi used social media platform X to express his excitement over the approaching event. He thanked the School of Ultimate Leadership for holding the conclave, highlighting its significance in bringing together professionals from many areas to debate leadership. PM Modi stated that the event’s speakers would provide valuable insights on key leadership challenges, particularly for young audiences.

The School of Ultimate Leadership (SOUL) is an innovative leadership institute situated in Gujarat. Its purpose is to help people become authentic leaders who work to advance the public good. SOUL aspires to improve India’s political leadership landscape by training individuals who ascend based on merit, commitment, and passion for public service, rather than political lineage.

With its emphasis on delivering the requisite skills, insights, and expertise, SOUL is preparing leaders to handle the difficult challenges of leadership in today’s quickly changing world.

Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, has been chosen as Delhi’s chief minister, making her the fourth woman to hold the role. Gupta’s grassroots origins, ties to the influential Bania group, and the BJP’s dedication to women’s empowerment all played important roles in her nomination.

The BJP’s Rekha Gupta and her Cabinet members’ oath-taking ceremony in Delhi conducted with ‘strong’ security precautions. To preserve law and order, some 25,000 police officers and 15 paramilitary companies would be deployed. Snipers on high-rise buildings and CCTV cameras with AI-based facial recognition will be installed in strategic locations. PM Narendra Modi has attended, as will other key BJP figures.

The BJP on Wednesday appointed Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, as Delhi’s chief minister, surprising party stalwarts and contenders.

The 50-year-old have been sworn in at noon today (February 20) in a lavish event at the city’s iconic Ramlila Maidan. It has gathered approximately 50,000 people, including prominent BJP leaders and chief ministers from party-ruled states.

She is the fourth woman to hold the top job in Delhi, after Sushma Swaraj (BJP), Sheila Dikshit (Congress), and Atishi (AAP). She will lead the BJP’s government in the capital, 27 years after Swaraj did.

After being elected leader of the assembly party, Gupta went to Raj Niwas to lay her claim to form the government before Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena. Before the central leadership made its decision, MLAs Parvesh Verma, Satish Upadhyay, and Vijender Gupta suggested her name as a strong candidate for the position. Gupta’s appointment is consistent with the BJP’s recent tendency of picking relatively low-profile politicians as chief ministers, a pattern witnessed in other states.

Party officials cited three significant aspects that worked in her favor: she is a woman, she belongs to the influential Bania group, which played an important part in the BJP’s triumph, and she has a solid grassroots foundation.

Gupta has held various crucial posts in her nearly three-decade political career, while keeping a low profile. Even after the BJP’s first assembly election victory in 27 years, she was not among the front-runners for the CM’s position. Her appointment as parliamentary party leader surprised even members of the party. She will take the oath as Delhi’s fourth woman chief minister on Thursday at Ramlila Maidan.

Gupta was born in 1974 in Nandgarh village, Jind district, Haryana. She came to Delhi with her family in 1976 when her father joined the State Bank of India. She attended Daulat Ram College and became interested in student politics through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which is the student branch of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

In 1996, she was elected president of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), making her the first former DUSU officer to become Delhi’s Chief Minister. Following college, she worked at the grassroots level until making her first significant political breakthrough in 2007, when she won the municipal election for the Uttari Pitampura ward. Despite the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s 2012 trifurcation, she won a second consecutive term as a councillor in North Delhi. Recognizing her services, the BJP named her as chairwoman of the education committee.

During her tenure, she implemented significant modifications in municipal schools, including as new student uniforms and the construction of permanent buildings for schools that had previously been housed in tents.

In the 2015 assembly elections, Gupta ran from Shalimar Bagh but was defeated by AAP candidate Bandana Kumari. When the BJP opted not to renominate incumbent councillors in 2017, she took a brief break from electoral activity. However, she made a comeback in 2022, gaining a municipal councillor seat from Shalimar Bagh (B) in the re-unified MCD. She later ran in the 2023 mayoral election against AAP candidate Shelly Oberoi, but was defeated due to low turnout.

With the BJP determined to retake power in Delhi, the party fielded Gupta in the assembly elections, where she made a strong comeback, defeating the AAP’s sitting MLA and her old rival, Bandana Kumari, by a massive margin of over 29,000 votes.

According to a new report, the Indian insurance sector has grown rapidly over the last two decades, and the government’s decision to allow 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector would accelerate growth by attracting significant foreign capital and boosting innovation.

As private spending increases in India, earning individuals across all city tiers are allocating more than 33% of their income (on average) to loan EMIs, according to a survey released. According to a survey by B2B fintech company Perfios and PwC India, people spend the most money on mandatory expenses, accounting for 39% of their total spending, followed by essential expenses (32%), and discretionary expenses (29%).

According to the statistics, more than 62 percent of discretionary spending go into lifestyle products, such as clothing and personal care items. As salaries rise from entry-level to high-income earners, so do the amount and frequency of food expenditures (ordering or eating out).

The average total amount spent on housing rent in tier 2 cities is 4.5% higher than in tier 1 cities, according to the research. People in tier 2 cities spend the most on medical expenses, paying 20% more per month than those in tier 1 cities. According to the survey, the average person in a Tier 1 city spends approximately Rs 2,450 per month on medical expenses, while metro inhabitants pay the least, at Rs 2,048 per month.

“India’s consumer market is undergoing a transformation which is fuelled by the rising middle class, expanding rural markets and a digitally connected, aspirational population,” stated Sabyasachi Goswami is the CEO of Perfios Software Solutions, a leading SaaS-based fintech company.

According to Mihir Gandhi, Partner and Leader-Payments Transformation at PwC India, the research is intended to assist businesses, governments, and financial institutions in understanding changing consumer behaviour and making educated decisions in a dynamic environment. The survey looked at the spending habits of 30 lakh tech-savvy individuals from throughout the country.

The research concluded with recommendations for compliance changes, such as a strong compliance culture led by firm leadership, technology-driven solutions to automate compliance processes, and the implementation of data security measures to increase consumer trust.

The subject of AI and ML is constantly evolving, resulting in a plethora of AI and ML career opportunities across a variety of industries. Professionals that can adapt and provide new solutions will be well-positioned to benefit from these shifts. As businesses continue to integrate AI into their operations, the demand for workers with technical and problem-solving skills will grow.

According to a survey issued on Tuesday, Indian graduates show a high aptitude for employment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). Indian graduates have the highest employment rate in AI and ML, at 46.1%, according to Mercer Mettl’s report.

The research, which includes data from over 2,700 institutions and over 1 million students, depicts a complicated landscape characterized by both hopeful flexibility and persisting skill disparities.

It also discovered that 50% of Indian graduates have the soft skills necessary for AI/GenAI collaboration, albeit they need to improve in areas such as creativity (44.3% employability). Communication skills (55.1%), critical thinking (54.6%), and leadership (54.2%) are among the strongest domains. With a 46% employability rate, learning agility remains critical for navigating the changing technological landscape.

Furthermore, the survey found that graduates from Tier 1 colleges have the highest employability rate (48.4%), followed by those from Tier 2 (46.1%) and Tier 3 (43.4%) universities. However, opportunity exists at all levels, particularly in specialized technology sectors. Tier 2 graduates perform well in UI/UX development roles, with a 58.3% employability rate.

Delhi has the highest employability rate (53.4%), followed by Himachal Pradesh and Punjab (51.1%). Uttarakhand and Jharkhand both did well, with rates of 50% and 49.6%, respectively.

Notably, the survey found that male and female graduates in AI, machine learning, and data science were equally employable. However, inconsistencies were discovered in software testing.

“In 2025, the employment rate for Indian graduates is 42.6%, a modest decrease from 44.3% in 2023, owing to changing industry requirements. However, tremendous progress has been achieved in technical employability, as colleges and students increasingly focus on building skills that are market-ready,” stated Siddhartha Gupta, President of Mercer India.

“On the other hand, developing certain non-technical and soft skills is a more complex learning curve that frequently necessitates longer time to acquire. “This data clearly highlights these trends,” he said.

At a joint news conference with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to India-US relations as a “MEGA partnership for prosperity“.

He emphasized the shared aims of both countries, saying Trump is working for MAGA – Make America Great Again, while India is focused on MIGA – Make India Great Again, and that they have a MEGA cooperation.

Taking to X, PM Modi said, “President Trump often talks about MAGA. In India, we are working towards a Viksit Bharat, which in the American context translates into MIGA. And together, the India-USA have a MEGA partnership for prosperity.”

During their recent meeting, Prime Minister Modi and President Trump announced a new project, the “US-India COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce, and Technology) for the 21st Century,” to drive revolutionary change across critical pillars of cooperation.

The leaders reiterated their strong commitment to a dynamic defense collaboration across several domains. To strengthen defense relations even further, the leaders announced plans to establish a new ten-year Framework for the ‘US-India Major Defense Partnership’ in the Twenty-First Century this year.

India has successfully integrated US-origin defense products into its inventory, including C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III, P-8I Poseidon aircraft, CH-47F Chinooks, MH-60R Seahawks, and AH-64E Apaches, as well as Harpoon anti-ship missiles, M777 howitzers, and MQ-9Bs. The presidents agreed that the United States would increase defense sales and co-production with India to improve interoperability and defense industrial collaboration.

The leaders agreed to pioneer new ways to support and sustain the US and Indian militaries’ overseas deployments in the Indo-Pacific, including improved logistics and intelligence sharing, as well as arrangements to improve force mobility for joint humanitarian and disaster relief operations, as well as other exchanges and security cooperation engagements.

The leaders pledged to increase trade and investment to benefit their citizens, boost their economies, stimulate innovation, and build more resilient supply chains. They pledged to improving the US-India trade relationship in order to encourage growth that is equitable, strengthens national security, and creates job opportunities. To do this, they set an ambitious goal for bilateral commerce called “Mission 500,” which aims to more than double total bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.

The leaders emphasized the importance of US-India collaboration in ensuring energy affordability, reliability, availability, and market stability. Recognizing the important role that the United States and India play as leading producers and consumers in shaping the global energy environment, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the US-India Energy Security Partnership, including in oil, gas, and civil nuclear energy.

The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to expanding energy commerce as part of measures to secure energy security and establish the United States as a significant supplier of crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas to India.

The leaders announced the launch of the US-India TRUST (“Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology”) initiative, which will catalyze government-to-government, academic, and private sector collaboration to promote the application of critical and emerging technologies in areas like defense, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum, biotechnology, energy, and space, while encouraging the use of verified technology vendors and ensuring sensitive technology.

Two countries will collaborate to enable industry partnerships and investments in next-generation data centers, cooperation on AI development and access to compute and processors, innovations in AI models, and the development of AI applications to solve societal challenges, all while addressing the protections and controls required to protect these technologies and reduce regulatory barriers.

The leaders announced the launch of INDUS Innovation, a new innovation bridge modeled after the successful INDUS-X platform that will advance US-India industry and academic partnerships while also encouraging investments in space, energy, and other emerging technologies to maintain US and India’s innovation leadership and meet the needs of the twenty-first century. The leaders also reaffirmed their support for the INDUS-X program, which allows collaboration between US and Indian defense industries, investors, and universities to develop essential capabilities for our forces, and welcomed the next summit in 2025.

The leaders hailed 2025 as a watershed moment in US-India civil space cooperation, with plans for a NASA-ISRO effort via AXIOM to send the first Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) and the early launch of the joint “NISAR” mission, the first of its kind to systematically map changes to the Earth’s surface using dual radars.

The presidents agreed that their governments should increase efforts to eliminate export regulations, improve high-technology commerce, and lower obstacles to technology transfer between our two countries while also addressing technology security.

The presidents agreed to increase coordination, strengthen diplomatic contacts, and expand tangible partnership with Middle Eastern allies. The leaders want to convene partners from the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor and the I2U2 Group within the next six months to launch new projects for 2025.

The United States values India’s position as a development, humanitarian assistance, and net security supplier in the Indian Ocean Region. In this regard, the leaders pledged to strengthen bilateral discussion and collaboration across the broad Indian Ocean region, establishing the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture, a new bilateral, whole-of-government forum to promote coordinated investments in economic connectivity and commerce.

The leaders also agreed to strengthen military cooperation in multinational contexts to promote global peace and security. The leaders praised India’s commitment to take a future leadership position in the Combined Maritime Forces naval task force, which will help protect water channels in the Arabian water.

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the need of strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries. They noted that more than 3,00,000 strong Indian student communities contribute more than $8 billion to the US economy each year, creating a number of direct and indirect job opportunities.

They recognized that the exchange of students, researchers, and employees had benefited both countries.Both executives underlined the importance of establishing innovative, mutually beneficial, and safe mobility frameworks as the globe evolves into a global workplace.

US President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed to maintain strong ties between our governments, companies, and academic institutions. They aspire to establish a long-term cooperation between India and the United States that matches both countries’ objectives for a bright and prosperous future, contributes to global good, and supports a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

The third season of the Women’s Premier League begins on today, and the Gujarat Giants will make their home debut against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the brand-new BCA Stadium in Vadodara.

RCB, the defending champions, will face Gujarat Giants in the tournament opener on February 14 in Vadodara. The inaugural edition’s champions, the Mumbai Indians, will begin their campaign against the Delhi Capitals in Vadodara on February 15.

The 2018 edition of the women’s T20 League will take held in four cities: Vadodara, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Mumbai.

As the five teams prepare for a new season of the WPL, which runs from February 14 to March 15, they do so against the backdrop of a domestic season in which batters have been expressive at the crease, resulting in more offensive strokeplay in matches.

It’s also helped that WPL franchises have started organizing off-season and pre-season camps for Indian players, which primarily focus on improving the players’ skill sets as well as their fitness and nutrition.

Vadodara will host six matches before the action changes to Bengaluru, where Smriti Mandhana’s RCB will play their first home game against the Mumbai Indians on February 21 at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium.

The caravan will then go to Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium, which will host four WPL games in its maiden season. UPW, headed by Alyssa Healy, will play three home matches against GG, MI, and RCB on March 3, 6, and 8.

The final leg of the WPL 2025 will take place in Mumbai’s iconic Brabourne Stadium. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians will wrap up the league stage with back-to-back home games against GG and RCB on March 10 and 11.

Brabourne will also host the Eliminator between the second and third-placed teams on March 13. The title fight is set to take place on March 15.

Before the Women’s Premier League 2025 season, all five WPL teams have announced their captains.
So far, Indian internationals Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana have won the WPL as captains of the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2023 and 2024.

The two will head their clubs in WPL 2025 as well. Here is the full list of captains.

Team                                                                         Captain
Delhi Capitals                                            Meg Lanning (Australia)
Gujarat Giants                                          Ashleigh Gardner (Australia)
Mumbai Indians                                       Harmanpreet Kaur (India)
UP Warriorz                                                Deepti Sharma (India)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru               Smriti Mandhana (India)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged global corporations to invest in India, underlining that the country is emerging as the leading hub for diversification and risk reduction. Speaking at the 14th India-France CEO Forum in Paris, Modi emphasized India’s growth trajectory and commitment to becoming a developed country by 2047.

He emphasized the latest budget’s economic measures, emphasizing their potential to increase investment and make conducting business easier.

“I tell you, this is the right time to come to India – the perfect time,” he said, urging French and international investors to participate in India’s economic growth. Speaking at the 14th India-France CEO Forum in Paris, Modi emphasized India’s growth trajectory and commitment to becoming a developed country by 2047.

He also highlighted India’s infrastructure expansion, noting that the country plans to open 120 new airports. “You can estimate future possibilities,” he added, encouraging investors to look into prospects in a variety of areas.

“Today, India is the world’s fifth-largest economy and the fastest-growing major economy.” Soon, we will be the world’s third-largest economy, and I invite you all to join India’s development path,” PM Modi stated.

Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the increasing strategic alliance between India and France. He lauded the two countries’ collaborative spirit, saying, “This is a meeting of the brightest business minds from India and France. I welcome the Summit report, which was just presented. I notice that you are all following the slogan of innovation, collaboration, and integration. You are not only making connections; you are also developing the India-France strategic alliance.”

As India strives to become a developed nation by 2047, Modi’s message was clear: now is the perfect moment for businesses to establish and expand their presence in the country. Speaking at the 14th India-France CEO Forum in Paris, PM encouraging investors to drive their business in India.

He reassured investors that the Indian government is dedicated to creating a business-friendly climate and driving long-term economic growth.