The Department of Financial Services has unveiled three technology-driven measures at Global Fintech Fest 2026 aimed at strengthening India’s financial inclusion architecture by expanding digital banking access, formal credit and last-mile cash services.
DFS Secretary Sanjay Lohiya launched an open-source Android ATM that can instantly issue personalised RuPay debit, credit and NCMC cards and merchant UPI QR codes, reducing turnaround time from weeks to minutes. The machines will also support cheque deposits, account opening and loan applications. Banks are assessing their deployment as Digital Banking Units in semi-urban and rural areas, as well as airports, metro stations, educational campuses and corporate parks.
Nine banks, including State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, UCO Bank, Slice Small Finance Bank and Airtel Payments Bank, are evaluating the solution with NPCI and ATM OEMs Hitachi Payment Services, Perto India and Vortex Engineering.
The policy push also extends Credit Line on UPI to eligible Kisan Credit Card and PM MUDRA Yojana beneficiaries. The schemes together cover more than 7.7 crore operative KCC accounts with sanctioned limits exceeding ₹10 lakh crore and over 57 crore PMMY loans worth more than ₹40 lakh crore.
The AePS Three-Party Cash Deposit facility enables eKYC-registered customers to deposit cash directly into beneficiaries’ accounts through participating AePS Touchpoint Operators. Aadhaar biometric authentication and beneficiary validation strengthen transaction security. Fourteen banks currently support the facility, with more expected to join.
