India’s growing influence in the global financial technology sector is taking center stage at the seventh edition of the Global Fintech Fest (GFF), being held in Mumbai from September 8 to 11. This year’s event focuses on three technologies expected to shape the next phase of financial services: Agentic AI, tokenization and quantum computing.
Organized by the Payments Council of India, the National Payments Corporation of India and the Fintech Convergence Council, the event brings together the country’s expanding digital finance ecosystem. Major financial regulators, including the Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, International Financial Services Centres Authority and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, are supporting the initiative.
India’s digital infrastructure has expanded rapidly, creating a foundation for wider access to financial services. By August 26, 2026, nearly 59.15 crore Jan Dhan accounts had been opened, while Aadhaar registrations surpassed 144 crore by March. The scale of India’s digital payments network is equally significant.
UPI recorded 2,450.9 crore transactions in August. In July alone, the platform processed 2,365.8 crore transactions worth Rs. 29.88 lakh crore, equivalent to about US$314.59 billion. A total of 741 banks were live on the UPI network, demonstrating the reach of India’s interoperable payments infrastructure.
Other digital platforms have also expanded considerably. Aadhaar-based e-KYC had crossed 2,458 crore transactions by June 29, while DigiLocker had more than 73.53 crore registered users and had issued over 936 crore documents. Direct Benefit Transfers reached a cumulative Rs. 53.26 lakh crore, or approximately US$558.02 billion, by September.
The Open Network for Digital Commerce has further broadened digital access, with more than 20 crore buyers and 5 lakh sellers operating across over 1,000 cities as of June.
The country’s regulatory framework is evolving alongside this expansion. Measures covering digital payment security, data protection, regulatory sandboxes and self-regulatory organizations are designed to support innovation while strengthening trust and oversight.
With the next stage of fintech development expected to emphasize technological self-reliance and broader inclusion, GFF 2026 underscores India’s transition from a major digital finance market to an important global fintech innovation hub.
