Budget 2026: Fintech Leaders Seek Last-mile Digital Inclusion and Enterprise Payment Clarity

As the Union Budget 2026 approaches, fintech leaders have highlighted the need to shift focus from rapid digital adoption to strengthening access, sustainability, and enterprise-led growth within India’s digital payments ecosystem.

Focus on Last-Mile Digital Inclusion

Shams Tabrej, Co-founder & CEO of Ezeepay, said Budget 2026 should prioritise deeper integration of digital financial services in rural and semi-urban regions.

“The emphasis should not be just on digital adoption but on meaningful deepening, especially in the rural and semi-urban areas of India,” Tabrej said.

He pointed to the scale achieved by digital payments, noting that UPI transactions have crossed 20 billion per month, with transaction values touching ₹27 lakh crore during peak months such as October 2025.

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Reducing Friction For Fintech and Local Networks 

According to Tabrej, policy support is needed to strengthen last-mile delivery by easing operational challenges for fintech firms and local intermediaries.

He said enhanced incentives for Banking Correspondents and local merchants, lower compliance costs for small fintech companies, and faster settlement cycles under government-led financial inclusion programmes would help ensure continuity of services at the grassroots level.

Tabrej also stressed the need for early investment in secure digital infrastructure, including fraud risk management, Aadhaar-enabled payments, and rural connectivity, to build trust among first-time digital users.

Enterprise Payments As The Next Growth Phase 

Highlighting a shift in the payments landscape, Rajesh Londhe, Co-Founder, Phi Commerce, said future growth will be driven by enterprises rather than transaction volumes alone.

“The next phase of digital payments growth will be driven by enterprises, particularly fast-scaling D2C brands operating across online, offline, and marketplace channels,” Londhe said.

He added that with UPI and other payment rails reaching maturity, Budget 2026 should provide long-term clarity on payment incentives and the costs businesses incur while accepting digital payments.

Londhe also said enabling responsible, credit-linked use cases on UPI could improve collections and working capital access for growing enterprises.

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