The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday launched the sixth edition of the Digital Payment Awareness Week (DPAW) in Ahmedabad with a women-centric outreach programme, highlighting the need for greater public awareness on safe digital transactions amid rising cases of online fraud.
The week-long campaign, being observed across India from March 9 to March 15 under the national initiative ‘Har Payment Digital’, is led by the RBI’s Department of Payment and Settlement Systems at its Central Office in Mumbai.
In Ahmedabad, the programme began with an event attended by around 400 participants, including members of Self Help Groups (SHGs), trainees of the Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI) and bank employees.The event, held at the Gujarat State Co-operative Bank in the Naranpura area, was inaugurated by Amresh Ranjan, Regional Director of RBI for Gujarat.
Among those present were Kalpana More, RBI Ombudsman for Gujarat; Pramod Kumar Sharma, Chief General Manager at Bank of Baroda; and Pradeep M. Vora, Chief Executive Officer of the Gujarat State Co-operative Bank, along with other senior banking officials.
Addressing the gathering, RBI’s Regional Director Ranjan highlighted the theme of this year’s campaign, “Thoda Dhyaan Se” (a little caution), and emphasised the importance of basic safety practices while using digital payment platforms.
He urged users never to share one-time passwords (OTP), personal identification numbers (PIN) or passwords with anyone, and warned against scanning QR codes or entering a PIN to receive payments."I appeal to people not to fall for offers that appear 'too good to be true' and to verify transaction details, including the amount and the beneficiary’s name, before completing payments," he said.
Ranjan noted that India now processes nearly half of the world’s digital payment transactions, but said gaps in public awareness continue to contribute to an increase in fraud-related complaints.He added that secure digital payment systems play a crucial role in expanding market access, empowering women entrepreneurs and strengthening financial inclusion.
During the programme, two entrepreneurs trained at RSETI Ahmedabad shared their experiences of using training and digital payment tools to build self-reliant livelihoods.The event also featured sessions on electronic banking and cybersecurity practices, followed by a quiz on safe banking practices in which participants from banks and SHGs took part.
RBI officials said similar awareness activities will be organised across districts during the week in collaboration with the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC), banks and other stakeholders to promote a secure and inclusive digital payments ecosystem.