Over 200 villages across India to access digital payments with Paytm

Mobile payments platform Paytm has announced working with over 200 villages across India to train and onboard consumers and merchants for digital payments.

The company has been on-boarding merchants in these villages as well as feeder markets to these villages so that people can reap the benefits of digital payments.

It has been conducting workshops with several professional bodies including CA and merchant associations, schools and colleges, self-help groups, worker unions and major government institutions to sensitize them about the convenience of using digital payments.

The company intends to serve the dual purpose of introducing customers to the benefits of cashless transactions while reaching the widest set of merchants across India.

"Our Digital Villages initiative is aimed towards introducing every Indian to the benefits of going cashless. We are actively partnering with the local merchant community and administration to bring the benefits of digital payments to one and all. We intend to reach to each and every village in this country. While on-boarding merchants is the first step, we will be conducting regular workshops to encourage and train people on digital payments," said VP Paytm, Amit Sinha.

Paytm has adopted a holistic approach to engage consumers and merchants across India. The company has launched a massive cashless drive across India to inform merchants and customers in every district about the benefits of using its payments platform.

It has also launched the 'Each One, Teach One' initiative that is aimed at encouraging everybody to teach their friends, family, neighborhood shops and service providers how to use Paytm.

These efforts combined with bolder targets in merchant acquisition are a part of the company's long-term vision to bring half a billion Indians to the mainstream economy by 2020.