Credit War Over UPI: Pawan Khera Says Congress Laid the Foundation After Macron’s Praise
New Delhi: A political debate has reignited over the origins of India’s digital payment revolution after French President Emmanuel Macron praised India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at a global Artificial Intelligence summit. Soon after his remarks, Congress leader Pawan Khera asserted that the foundation for digital payments was laid during the UPA era.
Taking to social media platform X, Khera wrote that in every group project there is someone who does no work but claims all the credit — a veiled jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He accused the Prime Minister of “cutting ribbons” and taking credit for initiatives conceptualised earlier under Congress-led governments.
What Khera Claimed
In his post, Khera stated that the initial conceptual framework for UPI was developed between 2012 and 2013 under the leadership of Nandan Nilekani, then Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). He noted that a committee appointed by the UPA government had recommended a mobile-based digital payments infrastructure in December 2013.
We all remember that one classmate in a group project – does no work, but shows up to take all the credit. That’s Narendra Modi.
Look at the UPI architecture in India that was appreciated by @EmmanuelMacron –
1. The initial conception of UPI happened in 2012–2013, under a… pic.twitter.com/lZE05oAZRO— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) February 20, 2026
He further pointed out that the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), developed in 2010 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), laid the technical foundation for UPI. According to Khera, NPCI began designing the core architecture that later evolved into UPI during 2013–14.
Macron’s Remarks
Speaking at the summit, President Macron highlighted India’s digital transformation. He noted that a decade ago, small street vendors in Mumbai struggled to open bank accounts due to lack of documentation. Today, he said, the same vendors can receive payments instantly through their mobile phones.
Macron praised India for providing digital identity and financial access to 1.4 billion people, describing UPI as a transformative system that has achieved scale unmatched globally.
Political Back-and-Forth
Khera’s remarks have triggered sharp reactions online. Critics shared an old Rajya Sabha speech by senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, in which he questioned whether small traders in villages had the infrastructure to adopt digital payments at scale.
The exchange has once again brought into focus the political contest over credit for India’s digital infrastructure growth. While the current government highlights rapid expansion and global recognition of UPI, the Congress maintains that the conceptual groundwork was laid during its tenure.
