India's 12M kirana shops accelerate cashless shift via UPI QR onboarding by Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay

COVID-19 lockdowns pushed India's 12 million neighborhood kirana stores toward contactless payments, with Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay and Bharat QR aggressively onboarding small merchants onto UPI rails. The shift cuts cash-handling risk for shopkeepers and builds digital transaction histories that unlock credit eligibility for the long-underbanked retail segment.

— Filed Sat, 27 Jun, 2026, 01:56 IST · Source Moneycontrol · Updated

India's 12 million kirana shops are accelerating cashless adoption, with Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay and Bharat QR onboarding small merchants via UPI-based QR acceptance. COVID-19 lockdown spurred contactless payments, helping kiranas reduce cash risks and build credit-eligible transaction trails.

Why this matters

Kirana stores have long operated on cash and informal credit. UPI QR onboarding marks a structural shift, embedding 12M micro-merchants into digital rails and formal credit pipelines for the first time.

Omni-channel theme steady at 446 signals over 90 days, reflecting sustained digital-physical convergence activity.

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