MAM
Google Pay tops the chart among e-wallets app users at 38%, followed by Amazon Pay & Paytm: WATPapers
Mumbai: WATConsult, the hybrid digital agency from Dentsu Creative India, has released the latest issue of its monthly WATPapers. Titled ‘Digital Transactions in India’, the report is by WATConsult’s research division, Recogn. The report shares insights on the increase in online businesses and purchases, changes in the process of making payments, and the migration of people from cash to digital transactions.
According to the report, the majority of respondents prefer to use digital payment systems like e-wallets and UPI. Apart from that, they have also used credit cards and net banking to complete transactions. It is worth noting that, while 46 per cent of males prefer e-wallets, the majority of females prefer UPI to transact. Furthermore, many youngsters in the age group of 18 to 24 years prefer using UPI and e-wallets.
The report further reveals that among the e-wallet app users, Google Pay (38 per cent) tops the chart, followed by Amazon Pay (37 per cent), Paytm (36 per cent), and Freecharge (32 per cent). While female users choose to use Google Pay, male users prefer using Amazon Pay, Paytm, and Google Pay. In small metropolitan areas, users prefer to use JioPay, Google Pay, and WhatsApp to transact.
Users favour e-wallets owing to the need to switch to a digital payment system and reduce cash transactions. These apps are convenient since they are easy to use and access. Additionally, users also get discounts or cashback on using them, along with some special benefits from specific retailers as well.
“Mobile payments, especially mobile wallets, have been a great driver towards this phenomenon and revolution on a global basis,” said Isobar India group CEO Heeru Dingra, commenting on the latest issue of WATPapers. “Gradually, India is moving toward a cashless economy, which explains the increasing trend of using digital payments systems extensively. The government, under the programme of digital India, has been encouraging and promoting the use of e-wallets via UPI.”
“The UPI platform has witnessed a leap in adoption at a phenomenal growth rate as a payments product across the country. There have been many merchants and businesses in the digital as well as offline ecosystems that have integrated the options of e-wallet apps and UPI for customers’ convenience and ease of transaction. This has positively influenced the country’s mobile wallet market,” she added.
WATConsult managing partner Sahil Shah said, “In the emerging markets, e-wallet apps have garnered much more attention compared to other forms of payment systems. Digital payment adoption is growing, and the onset of the pandemic has created a need for contactless payments in everyday life. The need for digital payments and the rise in the frequency of usage of e-wallets during the pandemic have been evident. There was a change in the behaviour of consumers during the pandemic which had a direct impact on the retail and e-commerce sectors.”
For the record, WATPapers are monthly published short reports based on the primary research conducted by Recogn, the agency’s research division that provides consumer and business insights to the audience. It aims to delve into the different aspects of the digital industry, consumer behaviour, and more.
Link to the report: https://www.watconsult.com/watpapers-digital-transactions/
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
