VOI World/ Desk
A chartered accountant working in Germany has sparked debate by praising India’s banking and payments system, calling it “criminally underrated.” In a LinkedIn post, Sahil Choudhary contrasted the ease of using Aadhaar and UPI in India with the bureaucratic hurdles of German banking.
He noted that in India, one can open a bank account with Aadhaar, deposit money, and start using UPI the very same day. In Germany, however, the process is far slower — requiring advance appointments, ID verification at a post office, a residence certificate, credit checks, and nearly a week’s wait for a debit card.
Choudhary acknowledged that Germany offers strong data protection under GDPR and a lack of aggressive loan marketing, but argued these benefits do not outweigh the delays and inconvenience. He concluded that India’s digital banking infrastructure, especially UPI, “wins hands down” in terms of efficiency and accessibility.
His remarks have resonated with many Indians online, reinforcing a growing sentiment that the country’s fintech ecosystem is among the most advanced globally. For a nation where UPI has become part of daily life, the reminder is clear: Indians may be taking for granted a system that much of the world still struggles to match.
