"Why not use BHIM, our very own Indian app?" Anand Mahindra explains switching to the NPCI app

Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra said he has switched to BHIM, the digital payments application developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Anand Mahindra explains switching to NPCI app BHIM In a post on X on October 26, Mahindra explained that a conversation with a friend made him more curious about the app. A friend asked Mahindra why he did not use BHIM, describing it as India’s own payments application, and subsequently introduced him to NPCI managing director and chief executive Dilip Asbe. When Mahindra mentioned his preferred payment platform, his friend asked, "Why not use BHIM, our very own Indian app?" Mahindra admitted that he knew little about the application, prompting his friend to introduce him to Asbe. BHIM, or Bharat Interface for Money, was launched in December 2016. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the application allows users to send and receive money directly through their bank accounts using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Unlike consumer-facing platforms such as PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm, BHIM is NPCI's own UPI application. Mahindra said his conversation with Asbe helped him understand the distinction between the payment applications consumers use and the underlying infrastructure that powers these transactions. "We all know the payment apps we use every day. PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, BHIM… But think of them as trains running on a railway network. NPCI provides the tracks. And what an extraordinary railway India has built!" he said. Highlighting the scale of India's digital payments infrastructure, Mahindra cited more than 2,400 crore UPI transactions processed in September, averaging over 80 crore transactions a day. The figures, he noted, demonstrated the extensive reach of a payment system that has become integral to everyday financial transactions across the country. "India is now the world's largest real-time payments market. A true global force multiplier," he said, describing Asbe as one of the key individuals behind this achievement. Their conversation also touched on NPCI's plans to expand the infrastructure supporting digital financial services. According to Mahindra, Asbe was exploring ways to build on the approach that had driven UPI's adoption, developing systems that could enable new applications across other areas of finance. "His mind is buzzing with plans to build more 'railroads' that will enable new apps in wider financial spheres," Mahindra stated. However, Mahindra said what impressed him most about Asbe was not merely his technological expertise or his contribution to India's financial technology ecosystem, but his humility. "But here's what struck me most about him. Not the scale of his achievement. Not his knowledge of the technology. His humility." The industrialist described Asbe as a leader who appeared more focused on his organisation's achievements than on seeking personal recognition. "Dilip is well known in financial & technology circles. But I met a man with no airs, no sense of self-importance & seemingly little interest in the spotlight. Just immense pride in what his team has accomplished & a genuine sense of privilege at being able to serve his country," he wrote. Mahindra also recalled learning that Asbe's mother was a teacher, wondering whether her influence had helped shape his grounded personality. "People like him derive their satisfaction not from being seen, but from seeing their work make a difference," Mahindra observed. Mahindra concluded by thanking Asbe for demonstrating that ambition and humility could go hand in hand. "And I've switched to the BHIM app now!" he said.