New Delhi (NVI): India’s own mobile payment app BHIM was on October 21 relaunched in a new avatar that packs new features, supports additional languages and has increased transaction limits with more speed.
The Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) 2.0, developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), was among a range of new initiatives launched by Union Minister of Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad during the first MeitY Start-up Summit here. Prasad also launched a StartUp Hub portal and Indian Software Product Registry, which will act as a single window portal to collate Indian software product database.
BHIM 2.0 app, a UPI based payment interface, also allows faster fund transfer than its earlier version that was launched in December 2016.
“In order to make BHIM app more feature-rich and effective it has been enhanced with a bunch of new functionalities. Some of the striking features marking BHIM 2.0 include a ‘Donation’ gateway, increased transaction limits for high value transactions, linking multiple bank accounts, offers from merchants, option of applying in IPO, gifting money,” an official release said.
The new version of BHIM also supports three additional languages — Konkani, Bhojpuri and Haryanvi — over and above the existing 13.
Launched BHIM 2.0 which is integrated with new features such as ‘Donation’ gateway, offers from merchants and option of accessing in more languages over and above the existing 13 languages. pic.twitter.com/ryz55tx0AR
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) October 21, 2019
“MSH portal brings onboard key constituents of the tech startup ecosystem with startups, technology incubation centres, Centres of Excellence (CoEs), mentors, VCs and angels together. It is also mandated to integrate existing programmes and innovation related activities of Ministry of ELectronics and IT (MeitY),” the release said.
Speaking on the occasion, Prasad said, “There is great maturity of the movement called ‘Digital India’ today under Prime Minister Modi,” and added, “The mantra of “Reform, perform, transform” as the key focus areas for the government and the technology is playing a big role in India’s journey of transformation.”
Enunciating that the digital infrastructure should be leveraged to transform rural India, Prasad said, “1.25 Lakh Gram Panchayats have been connected by optical fibre. Today there are 1 Lakh digital villages with wifi connectivity and CSCs.”
Stressing the importance of JAM Trinity, Aadhar and Mobile he said, “With 1.24 billion Aadhar cards and 1.2 billion mobile phones, Trinity is scripting its own success story of digital inclusion and added, “eNam, e-Visas, Digital payments all have shown tremendous maturity and growth.”
On TIDE scheme he said, “It had made some remarkable achievements in the promotion of startups in the country and now with TIDE 2.0 more avenues would open up for startups.” The Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE) Scheme was put in place by MeitY in 2008 to promote innovation by nurturing startups in Information Technology, Communications & Electronics (ICTE) domain.
–PS
