Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), in association with Google India and DSCI (Data Security Council of India) today launched the ‘Digital Payment Suraksha’ – an awareness campaign towards promoting safe and secure digital transactions. The imitative was launched by Shri Alphons KJ, Hon’ble Union Minister of State, Electronics & Information Technology and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Tourism in the presence of Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Mr. Chetan Krishnaswamy, Director Public Policy at Google India, Ms. Rama Vedashree, CEO, Data Security Council of India and Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In.
The Digital Payment Suraksha is an initiative that has a two-pronged approach mutually complementing each other. First, the Digital Payment Security Awareness Campaign, aimed at spreading awareness around security aspects of digital payments in the society, penetrating it to communities such as traders, micro and small businesses and citizens at large. Secondly, Digital Payment Security Alliance, to bring all stakeholders on a common platform and progress together in building up a sustainable ecosystem of digital payment security in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Alphons KJ said, “India, under the leadership of the honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has embarked on a journey to become the biggest digital economy in the world. So far, we have witnessed a total of 1164 crore digital transaction this year, and by the end of the year the number is expected to touch 1800. Aadhaar has given every Indian an identity. One can link Aadhaar with all the digital payment platforms so that the citizens are protected. However, the biggest achievement of this digital payment system has been that it ensured that the fruits of development reached the last man out there.”
Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney said, “We have been undertaking several measures and promoting certain instruments to popularize Digital Payments. The very first instrument that we are promoting is to augment the Digital Payment Acceptance Infrastructure, so that both the payer and the accepter have a convenient means to pay and accept payment digitally. The number of POS machines with the merchants are now around over 3 million, which went up from 1.5 million which in the pre-demonetization period. We are going to provide another 2 million POS machine in a short period. But, still there will be a huge gap. We are working with NPCI and banks to come out with solutions so that every merchants in the country get connected with some Digital Payment Acceptance Infrastructure.”
Given the recent momentum on digital payments and government’s drive for a ‘Less Cash Economy’, enterprises and consumers are coming together to help India leapfrog into a digital economy. The Government, financial services and digital payments industry have embarked on several initiatives to drive digital payments. Various institutions and enterprises spearheading Financial Inclusion and Digital Payments are also supporting the initiative.
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