Bharat Connect : Revolutionizing India’s Digital Payment Ecosystem

In this episode of PayTech Bytes, Ramakrishnan Ramamurthy, Chief Delivery and Operation Officer at Worldline India, discusses how Bharat Connect is set to reshape India’s digital payment landscape. Bharat Connect, an interoperable platform designed to unify merchants, consumers, and payment channels, is steadily gaining traction. While still in its adoption phase, the platform is anticipated to drive substantial growth in India’s digital payments, expected to contribute to the sector's projected US$10 trillion valuation by 2026.

One of Bharat Connect’s strengths lies in its recent expansion, supported by RBI regulations, making it accessible across all commerce segments, from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to rural areas. Ramamurthy highlights Bharat Connect’s 70% year-on-year growth over the past three years and the expected tripling of transaction volumes within the next five years. Despite operational and scaling challenges, particularly in consumer onboarding, he views these as part of a natural adoption curve for a platform with this scope.

Ramamurthy discusses key use cases that illustrate Bharat Connect’s reach, including government initiatives for digital access to citizen services like property taxes, RTO payments, and certificates. Another major area of focus is mobility, with toll tag recharges and transportation payments moving to the platform. Additionally, UPI Lite integration enables seamless small-value transactions, providing an efficient, wallet-based payment method.

Ramamurthy concludes with a vision for Bharat Connect as essential digital public infrastructure, addressing costs by centralizing the acquiring infrastructure. As it continues to mature, Bharat Connect is expected to expand digital payments to the last mile, fostering growth over the next five to seven years and positioning itself as a primary payment rail in India.

Listen to the Podcast here - Building an ecosystem of collections through Bharat Connect

We hope these insights into Bharat Connect's potential inspire a deeper understanding of India's evolving digital payments landscape. Stay tuned for the next episode of PayTech Bytes, and feel free to reach us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠marketing.worldlineindia@worldline.com. for any questions or collaboration opportunities.