By Peerzada Mohsin Shafi

Srinagar- On a cold morning in Srinagar's old city, the air smells of brewing tea. Bashir Ahmad stands behind his wooden stall, pouring steaming cups into paper glasses. Beside the teapot hangs a small QR code, laminated and smudged from use. A young customer scans, a soft beep sounds, and the deal is done.

“I don't count cash anymore,” Bashir says, tucking his phone into his side pocket.“I count pings.”

That ping has now become the new language of trade in the valley.

QR codes, once seen as city toys, have spread from Lal Chowk boutiques to vegetable carts in Sopore and tea stalls in Pulwama. Everyone scans, pays, and moves on.

The engine behind this change is India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a system that lets people transfer money instantly by scanning a code.

In August 2025, UPI recorded over 20 billion transactions worth nearly ₹25 lakh crore, according to the National Payments Corporation of India. Kashmir's contribution may be small in numbers, but large in transformation.

“Digital payments have gone from novelty to necessity,” says Tanveer Hussain, a banker from Anantnag.“We now see QR codes in rural markets, on milk cans, and even on handcarts. This is a social shift, not just a financial one.”

Shopkeepers agree. In Srinagar's Lal Chowk, boutique owner Rukhsar Nabi says business feels lighter and cleaner.“No waiting for change, no worrying about fake notes,” she says.“Even older women in pherans scan now. They ask for my code before they ask for the price.”

For many, the change goes beyond convenience. Dr. Kaisar Wani, a Srinagar-based economist, says UPI has opened doors to financial inclusion.“In Kashmir's informal economy, small traders rarely had bank histories,” he says.“Now, every scan builds a record. That record means credit, and credit means growth.”

Women entrepreneurs are among the biggest gainers. In Pampore, saffron grower Rafiqa Bano uses QR codes to sell directly to buyers in Delhi and Mumbai.“Earlier I waited days for payments,” she says.“Now, I send a code and the money comes instantly. I don't depend on anyone.”

Still, the shift has its rough edges. Weak internet in rural areas often interrupts payments.“There are days when half my customers walk away because the network drops,” says grocery owner Shabir Ahmad in Kupwara.“It saves time when it works, and wastes it when it doesn't.”

Cybersecurity is another worry. Fake QR codes and phishing scams are rising across the valley.

Dr. Sumaiya Hassan, a cybersecurity researcher, says users need more awareness.“Scammers print fake codes over real ones,” she says.“People scan without checking and lose money. It's easy to fix with training, but that training must reach everyone.”

Police have started awareness drives in schools and markets.“Digital trust grows only with digital safety,” says a senior cyber cop.“We teach people to pause before they scan.”

Despite the glitches, the change feels irreversible.

During Eid, ATMs that once drew long queues now stand almost empty. In Srinagar, bus conductors use QR sound boxes instead of collecting cash.“It's faster,” says Hilal Dar, a bus conductor.“And cleaner too. Money never touches my hands.”

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