Empirical Study Of Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) As Another Milestone For Digital Bill Payments In India

Abstract

The Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is a system initiated by the Reserve Bank of India and overseen by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), merging all fragmented systems of bill payments in India into one secure, regulated digital platform as part of the Digital India flagship initiative. This paper discusses BBPS as an emerging model for digital public infrastructure with emphasis on its regulatory framework, technological architecture, and institutional stakeholders. Drawing upon official documents and a case study from the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), this paper evaluates the effectiveness of BBPS in terms of financial inclusion, improved service delivery, and enhanced consumer trust. The structured bill payments facilitated by BBPS are well positioned through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and mobile wallets. It has greatly improved payment efficiency and access through agent networks and Common Service Centers (CSCs). However, awareness about it is still lacking. This study underscores BBPS’s potential for mingling with novelties like UPI AutoPay, Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), and cross-border payments—a model of scalability for inclusive digitization in developing economies.