India is now responsible for half of all online financial transactions in the world, said Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, at the Rising Bharat Summit 2025 on Monday. Speaking on the country’s digital transformation, Kant credited this leap to India’s rapid advancements in digital payment systems and innovation-driven growth.
“India leads the world in fast payments,” Kant noted. “We handle 50% of global digital transactions. China comes next with 20%.”
Kant drew attention to the country’s economic journey, pointing out that India has gone from being part of the “fragile five” economies just a decade ago to now standing tall among the world’s top five. He underlined this transformation as a result of strong policy, robust infrastructure development, and technological progress.
He also celebrated India’s start-up surge. “We had only 156 start-ups a few years ago. Now there are over 1.61 lakh [161,000], with more than 100 unicorns,” he said, describing recent progress in AI and healthcare innovation as “path-breaking.”
The summit, hosted by News18, featured a diverse lineup of speakers including Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, actor and politician Sunny Deol, UK-based entrepreneur Lord Karan Bilimoria, and EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani. The event served as a platform for leaders across sectors to reflect on India’s growth story and its trajectory for the future.
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