Congress Critiques PM Modi After Macron Praises UPI Innovation

In a recent statement, Congress leader Pawan Khera likened Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a disengaged student in a group project, who contributes little but takes credit for the collective efforts. This comment followed French President Emmanuel Macron's commendation of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a remarkable example of digital innovation.

During the India AI Impact Summit, Macron remarked on the transformative power of UPI in financial inclusion, noting significant advancements in digital payments over the past decade. He highlighted how previously unbanked individuals, such as street vendors in Mumbai, can now receive payments instantly via their mobile phones.

In response to Macron's accolades, Khera asserted that the foundational work on UPI was laid during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2004 to 2014. He claimed that the original concept and architecture of UPI were developed in 2012-2013, under the leadership of Nandan Nilekani, who was the chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India at the time.

Khera referenced a report from a committee established by the UPA, which recommended a mobile-based digital payments framework in December 2013, leading to the eventual establishment of UPI. He emphasised the role of the National Payments Corporation of India, which laid the technical groundwork for UPI through an Immediate Payment Service launched in 2010.

Khera further criticised Modi’s focus on public relations at the expense of genuine innovation, stating, “Bereft of the capacity to think of groundbreaking ideas, Modi is happy with cutting ribbons, blabbering ludicrous acronyms, cursing Congress and stealing credit.”

Although the Congress has consistently claimed that significant digital infrastructure initiatives originated under the UPA, Prime Minister Modi's administration officially launched UPI in 2016. The government has often highlighted how UPI has powered billions of transactions monthly and contributed to financial inclusion initiatives since its inception. Meanwhile, as of now, there has been no direct response from the Prime Minister's Office or leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party regarding Khera's remarks.