2 yrs after demonetisation, cash still king at petrol pumps, rail stations

Digital transactions have seen a minor increase even after government's push

Indians love the feel of cold hard cash, demonetisation or not. Scores of mobile wallets and government initiatives — including launching digital payment platforms such as Unified Payment Interface (UPI), Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) — have not been able to cut down cash transactions in various areas. Unreserved railway ticketing and payments at petrol pumps, which together constitute almost 25 per cent of the market for digital transactions, are witnessing the lowest amount of traction.

Experts believe that even two years after demonetisation, lack of specific infrastructure as well as convenience factor are preventing the use of digital money