RBI governor launches Har Payment Digital for making every citizen a user of digital payments

Shaktikanta Das, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, launched Mission Har Payment Digital on Monday, with the goal of making every citizen a user of digital payments as part of Digital Payments Awareness Week (DPAW) 2023, which runs from March 6 to 12.

Digital Payment Apnao, Auron ko Bhi Sikhao (Adopt digital payments and Teach others also) — will be the theme for this awareness week, according to the central bank’s statement released today. Over the last few years, the usage of digital payments in India has seen exponential growth. Citizens of the country have embraced digital payments for the speed, convenience, and security that it offers, the RBI, in the statement, said, adding, “However, a significant portion of the population is still not aware of digital payments or is not using them despite being aware.”

Given the benefits that digital payments bring to the country, it is critical to raise awareness and increase the use of digital payments. With this goal in mind, the Reserve Bank stated that it has been observing a targeted campaign – DPAW – every year as part of its ongoing efforts to raise financial awareness.

According to a recent RBI survey of 90,000 respondents, 42 percent had used digital payments, 35 percent were non-users who were aware of digital payments, and 23 percent were unaware.

This year, the ‘Har Payment Digital’ (HPD) mission will be launched, with the goal of converting these non-users into digital payment users by the end of Vision 2025.

The theme of Vision 2025 is E-Payments for Everyone, Everywhere, and Everytime, and it would be appropriate to have the mission HPD coincide with it to encourage the country’s citizens to adopt digital payments universally.

According to the statement, this year’s DPAW theme of Digital Payment Apnao; Auron ko Bhi Sikhao aims to create a chain of digital payment users who will teach people around them about the benefits of digital payments, encourage adoption, and propagate this chain on a national scale.

Starting this week, the RBI, in collaboration with banks and other payment system participants, will launch a multimodal campaign centred on the theme across print, television, radio, and social media. To fulfil the mission of making every citizen a digital payments user, users of digital payments will be encouraged to teach non-users about the ease, safety, and convenience of digital payments.

Various activities will also be organised to encourage as many people as possible to participate in the theme.

Jan Bhagidari Events, 75 Digital Villages Programme, Partnering with Youth, and Awareness Message in Villages are some of the activities that will be organised to ensure that as many people as possible participate in the theme.