Financial services company Paytm has deployed nearly 10,000 payment devices like sound boxes, QR codes and card machines for gram panchayats in several Indian states.

In Panchayat offices, villagers make various payments like house tax, water bills, electricity bills and other payments. Most of this was done in cash, but now several state governments have started digitizing these payments with the help of payment companies.

The company has already been authorized to deploy QR/Card Machines and sound box in over 7000-gram panchayats in Andhra Pradesh in collaboration with major banks like HDFC Bank, SBI, IDFC First Bank and others. Direct permission has also been obtained from the state departments of Uttar Pradesh and Goa for the introduction of card machines and sound boxes.

Additionally, Paytm has already digitized over 1,200 gram panchayats through its QR code and voice box solutions in Gujarat, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Maharashtra, and Assam.

The government-sponsored National Informatics Center (NIC) is building applications in line with the Digital India policy that can digitally accept payments, process invoices and generate invoices, all simultaneously for various ministries.

Traffic problems went digital in the first wave, but now the government is trying to digitize payments at the village level as well. Panchayat tax payments and municipal corporation payments are also digital.

“With the deployment of our iconic payment devices like soundbox, card machine and QR codes, we are redefining the digital landscape of gram panchayats and rural India. This will simplify fee collection processes for services like property tax, water bills, and electricity bills and more," says Abhay Sharma, chief business officer, Payments, Paytm.