 "PM pitches for UPI transactions, urges people to hold weddings in India")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the success of the digital revolution in India and urged people to rely more on Unified Payment Interface (UPI) applications or other digital payment modes for making transactions.
In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi said the trend of cash transactions has been declining in the country.
“UPI payments have increased in the past months and I urge you to only make UPI payments for the upcoming month. The success of the digital revolution in India has made this absolutely possible. And when one month is over, please share your experiences and your photos with me,” he said.
"This is the second consecutive year when during Diwali, people have reduced their dependency on cash payments. People are now relying more on digital payments," he added.
Reiterating his vocal-for-local pitch, Modi said people purchased more local goods than before during Diwali, Bhai Dooj and Chhath festivals this year, which resulted in business to the tune of Rs 4 lakh crore.
A great deal of enthusiasm was seen among people to buy made-in-India products, he said, adding the success of vocal-for-local is opening the doors to a developed and prosperous India.
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Modi urged families to refrain from organising weddings abroad, asserting that such celebrations should be held within the country to boost the local economy.
“These days a new trend is in vogue. Some rich families go abroad for weddings. Is this at all necessary? It is possible that the system you want may not be here today, but if we organise such events, systems will also evolve,” he said.
On the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, Prime Minister Modi said the country can never forget what happened on November 26.
“It was on this day that the most heinous terrorist attack took place in the country. Terrorists had shaken up Mumbai and the entire country. But, it is India's capability that we recovered from that attack and now we are also crushing terrorism with full courage," he asserted.
Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan had arrived by sea route and opened fire, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others during a 60-hour siege in Mumbai.