PM Modi's BHIM App: 10 things to know about the digital payments app

New Delhi: In a bid to further push adoption of e-payments in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched an indigenous digital payments app 'BHIM' that will enable fast and secure cashless transactions using mobile phones. Earlier on Friday, while speaking at the 'DigiDhan Mela', PM Modi said BHIM app was very simple to use and a thumb impression was enough to operate it.

Download BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) App. It will improve ease, experience & efficiency of digital transfers. https://t.co/vTFd5B4aHW

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 30, 2016

"Be it a smartphone or feature phone of Rs 1,000-1,200, BHIM app can be used. There is no need to have Internet connectivity. One only needs a thumb. There was a time when an illiterate was called 'angutha chhap'. Now, time has changed. Your thumb is your bank now. It has become your identity now," he added.

1. Named after the architect of the Indian Constitution, Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is a simplified payment platform designed to make Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and USSD payment modes simpler and usable across feature phones and smart phones.
2. It is a simple app and you can download it on your smartphones or feature phones. You don't require an internet connection to use the app.
3. Through the BHIM app you can send money, receive money or make payments for your purchases by simply scanning a QR code.
4. The Android app is already available on the Google Play Store.
5. An iOS version will also be available very soon.
6. Developed by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), BHIM is supported by host of banks, including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and Punjab National Bank, among others.
7. The app, which can be downloaded from Google Playstore, is currently available in Hindi and English, and support for more languages is expected soon.
8. BHIM is inter operable with other Unified Payment Interface (UPI) applications and bank accounts.
9. Users can register their bank account with BHIM, and set a UPI PIN for the account.
10. The mobile number then acts as the user's identifier, enabling transactions like sending or receiving money.

Digital payments company MobiKwik's Founder and CEO Bipin Preet Singh said this will further strengthen digital payment system and add to building of a cashless economy. "Going forward, we hope that provisions would be made for adding e-wallets on UPI enabling people to pay through bank accounts or e-wallets using the BHIM app," Singh added. The Prime Minister recalled the days when India was called 'sone ki chidiya' (bird of gold) and said the nation still had the potential to become the same again. He said boosting digital connectivity will "do wonders for our nation", adding that the day was not far off when the cash-based transaction will turn completely digital. Making a pitch for digital transactions, Modi said 'Lucky Grahak Yojana' and 'DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana' were a Christmas gift to the nation. Over 100 days, several prizes of Rs 1,000 will be given to people through lucky draws. The mega draw will be held on April 14, the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, he added. Watch: