New Delhi, July 20 -- India has emerged as the global leader in fast payments, according to a recent note by the International Monetary Fund titled Growing Retail Digital Payments: The Value of Interoperability.

At the heart of this transformation is the Unified Payments Interface, better known as UPI. Launched in 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India, UPI has changed how people send and receive money in the country.

It brings all your bank accounts together in one mobile app. One can transfer money instantly, pay merchants, or send funds to friends with just a few taps. Its appeal lies in its speed and ease of use.

Today, UPI processes over 18 billion transactions every month in India.

"This shift has taken India away fr...