Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions touched a record high in March, with both value and volume hitting new peaks, driven by festive spending and financial year-end activity, according to PTI.Data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) showed that UPI transactions totalled Rs 29.53 lakh crore in value during March, up 19 per cent from Rs 24.77 lakh crore in the same month last year.On a month-on-month basis, transaction value rose 10 per cent from Rs 26.84 lakh crore recorded in February.In volume terms, UPI registered 22.64 billion transactions during the month, marking a 24 per cent increase from 18.3 billion transactions a year ago. The volume was 20.39 billion in February.Average daily transactions stood at 730 million, with an average daily value of Rs 95,243 crore, as spending picked up during festivals such as Holi and Eid.“The sustained growth in the digital payment ecosystem in India is an affirmation of the penetration of real-time payment systems in the day-to-day life of the people. UPI processed 22.64 billion transactions worth 29.53 lakh crore in March 2026, marking its emergence as one of the trusted payment systems in the country,” said Anand Kumar Bajaj, MD & CEO of PayNearby.UPI now accounts for around 85 per cent of all digital transactions in India and contributes nearly 50 per cent of global real-time digital payments.The platform is operational in seven countries, including the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France and Mauritius, with its entry into France marking its first expansion into Europe.NPCI, an initiative of the Reserve Bank of India and the Indian Banks’ Association, operates UPI, enabling real-time peer-to-peer and merchant payments across the country.

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty ended nearly 2 per cent higher on Wednesday, starting the new financial year on a firm footing as global markets rallied on hopes of a potential de-escalation in the ongoing West Asia conflict.The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 1,186.77 points or 1.65 per cent to settle at 73,134.32. During intra-day trade, it surged 2,017.03 points or 2.80 per cent to 73,964.58.The broader NSE Nifty rose 348 points or 1.56 per cent to close at 22,679.40. A decline in crude oil prices also supported investor sentiment.

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“Indian equity markets opened the new financial year on a positive note, with stocks soaring on fresh optimism surrounding a potential de-escalation of the Middle East conflict and easing of energy supply disruptions,” said Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money.He added that US President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting the US could withdraw from Iran “whether we have a deal or not” within the next two to three weeks provided the trigger for a broad rally in global risk assets.“Indian equity markets opened FY27 on a strong note, driven by improving risk appetite following US President Donald Trump’s remarks hinting at a potential resolution to the West Asia conflict,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited.In the US, markets ended significantly higher on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq Composite surging 3.83 per cent, the S&P 500 rising 2.91 per cent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 2.49 per cent.Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, declined 0.22 per cent to USD 103.7 per barrel.Stock markets were closed on Tuesday on account of Shri Mahavir Jayanti.Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 11,163.06 crore on Monday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought shares worth Rs 14,894.72 crore, according to exchange data.