Between December 2018 and January 2019, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) surveyed half a dozen major cities to gauge the prevalence of digital payments two years after the country demonetised about 86 per cent of its currency overnight. The survey sought to gauge people’s level of awareness about digital payments and the challenges they faced while using payment cards, mobile banking, net banking, and Unified Payments Interface (UPI). It threw up a list of pain points of which the main ones were a lack of point-of-sale (PoS) machines, trust issues, complicated digital processes, and transaction charges.
That pretty much sums up the reasons for a stubbornly high level of cash in the system despite the surge in digital transactions since demonetisation and the spur from the Covid-19 pandemic.
India’s currency in circulation (CIC) touched 14.6 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020/21, much higher than the 12 per cent before demonetisation in November 2016.
The RBI’s studies have concluded that the CIC ideally should grow slower than nominal growth in order to reduce cash flowing through the system. The CIC— a universal indicator of measuring the cash in the system—is around 8 per cent in the US and about 9 per cent in China, which does the highest number of digital transactions globally.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
APERFECT SCRIPT?
Adar Poonawalla’s decision to invest `1,000 crore in Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions is certainly intriguing.
"Viksit Bharat in reach if female workers increase"
Franziska Ohnsorge, the World Bank's Chief Economist for South Asia, on trends in female labour force participation rate, policy measures, and more
Ambuja Checks into Orient
The Adani Group-owned company has made five buyouts in less than two years and is hungry for more
The EV Craze
The country’s growing luxury car market is seeing a shift with environmentally-conscious consumers betting on electric vehicles as a sustainable travel option. Though just 6%, the share of EVs in the luxury segment is rising rapidly
The Storage Boom
Data centres are being built at a frenetic pace in india as companies scramble to meet the ballooning demand from mobile phone users and firms adopting al. Can the country’s energy infrastructure keep up?
India Beckons
Owing to rising incomes in India and overall wealth expansion, luxury brands are wooing the country like never before
The Pearls of The Sea
Caviar, that rare food, is considered the epitome of fine dining. Here is everything that you need to know about it
66.Brand persona should define the core"
I’d say this was a strategic pivot. We had an iconic brand, but had, over time, evolved into diversified lines of businesses that could no longer be represented within the confines of our ‘name’.
Unwind in Style
Here is acomprehensive list of top tech picks that help you unwind by blending perfection in performance with luxury
A Lifelong Affair with Inspiration
In my art journey, the diversity of my acquisitions mirrored the expanding horizons of my understanding of art