Data shows how Indians use UPI in daily life: From groceries to debt payments

Representative photo

Data shows that the adoption of Unified Payments Interface or UPI in India has grown significantly in the last few months, with people using the payment system to buy vegetables, pay utility bills and even topping up game credits.

According to the latest data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI clocked 19.46 billion transactions worth Rs 25.08 lakh crore in July 2025. Peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers, such as sending money to friends and family, made up 71% of the value, while peer-to-merchant (P2M) payments — everyday purchases and bills — accounted for 64% of the volume.

Groceries and fuel dominate

Data shows that by volume, groceries and supermarkets were the top merchant category with over 3 billion transactions, followed by fast food outlets (1.22 billion) and restaurants (1.15 billion). Telecommunications services logged 871.88 million payments, while digital goods such as games drew 351.24 million transactions.

In value terms, debt collection agencies surprisingly topped the list at Rs 93,857 crore, ahead of groceries and supermarkets (Rs 64,882 crore) and fuel stations (Rs 35,189 crore). Utilities, telecom, restaurants, and government services also featured prominently.

Maharashtra leads the UPI map

Maharashtra emerged as the biggest UPI user by volume among the states, clocking 1.9 billion transactions in July.

It is followed by Karnataka (1.06 billion) and Uttar Pradesh (1.03 billion). Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal were also part of the top 10 states driving UPI volumes.

The data further showed that grocery delivery giants like Zepto, Blinkit and BigBasket clocking a high number of UPI transactions.

Meanwhile, online marketplaces such as Amazon, Meesho and Flipkart registered transactions worth Rs 8,054 crore across 12 crore payments in July.

Clothing stores logged Rs 10,874 crore, while electronics retailers recorded Rs 10,068 crore. Liquor outlets accounted for Rs 5,920 crore, bars and nightclubs Rs 3,314 crore, and taxi services like Uber and Ola Rs 1,186 crore.