New Delhi, February 21, 2026: While the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) received international acclaim, Congress leader Pawan Kheda attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that the foundation of UPI was laid during the UPA government, but the current administration is taking credit.
Congress Criticism
Kheda shared a video of French President Emmanuel Macron and wrote on X, “We all remember that one classmate in a group project who does nothing but takes all the credit. Narendra Modi is no different.”
He explained that the UPI concept was initiated in 2012–2013 under the leadership of Nandan Nilekani, then Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). In December 2013, a UPA-appointed committee recommended a mobile-based digital payments infrastructure.
Kheda further highlighted that the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2010, laid the technical groundwork. NPCI began designing the original architecture in 2013–2014, which later evolved into UPI.
He alleged that PM Modi only takes credit through inaugurations and announcements, while the actual groundwork was done by previous administrations and institutions.
French President Macron Praises India’s Digital Transformation
During the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Mumbai, President Macron highlighted India’s digital achievements by citing a street vendor who, a decade ago, could not open a bank account due to lack of documents and access, but today can instantly receive payments on his phone.
Macron said, “This is not just a tech story—it is a story of civilization. India has created something no other country has: a digital identity system for 1.4 billion people, a payment system processing 20 billion transactions every month, and a health infrastructure issuing 500 million digital health IDs.”
UPI: A Global Benchmark
The praise from President Macron underscores India’s leadership in building scalable digital infrastructure, transforming financial inclusion, and creating accessible technology solutions for millions of citizens.
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