Assessing Awareness And Adoption Of UPI Apps Among College Students Of Etawah District

India’s digital payment ecosystem has undergone rapid transformation following the introduction of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) by the National Payments Corporation of India under the regulatory supervision of the Reserve Bank of India. UPI has significantly simplified real-time financial transactions by enabling seamless bank-to-bank transfers through mobile platforms. The present study investigates awareness and adoption of UPI applications among 506 college students in Etawah District, Uttar Pradesh. The study adopts a descriptive and analytical research design and uses primary data collected through structured questionnaires via both online and offline modes. Percentage analysis and frequency distribution techniques were employed for data interpretation. Findings reveal that 90.7% of respondents are aware of UPI apps and 85.6% actively use them. PhonePe (43.3%) is the most preferred application, followed by Google Pay (27.7%). Although 32.8% of respondents reported experiencing online fraud, 85.8% are willing to recommend UPI apps. The study concludes that UPI adoption among college students is significantly high; however, digital security awareness needs strengthening for sustainable financial inclusion.