PayNearby integrates government super app, UMANG

By Leandra Monteiro

To offer ease and further the Government’s vision to make e-governance ‘mobile first’ in India, PayNearby, one of India’s leading branchless banking and digital networks, has integrated the all-in-one app UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) into its platform.

PayNearby looks to assist citizens with all their central and state government services-related needs across 20,000+ PIN codes with its tech-led DaaS network of 50+ retail partners while aiding the reach of UMANG services to a larger user base of 20+ crore customers.

Developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and National e-Governance Division (NeGD) to drive Mobile Governance in India, UMANG provides a single platform for all Indian citizens to access 100+ e-Gov services ranging from central to local government bodies. Available in numerous regional languages, this super app is designed to get citizens rid of the need to download countless apps while enhancing transparency and fairness in all transactions. The app allows the users to discover, download, access, and use all government services easily in one place, all at the tip of their fingers.

However, most of the population, especially across semi-urban and rural India, are not tech-savvy enough to access these services themselves, hindering the GoI’s vision of mobile governance. This is where PayNearby retailers step in. With this integration, this e-governance service can be used on the PayNearby app or website.

Through its assisted retail network of 50+ lakh retail outlets, PayNearby aims to handhold the masses and acquaint them with various features of UMANG and help them access those services while adding ease to their lives. Now, people do not need to visit several offices to get their administrative jobs done. They can simply walk into their nearest kirana store, and the retailer through the PayNearby app can redirect to the Umang App and help them with their government service needs. This means citizens at the last mile, through their trusted retailer, can download their vaccination certificate, check their pension amount, view their provident fund passbook or track EPFO claim status, at a store nearby.

Speaking on the development, Anand Kumar Bajaj, Founder, MD & CEO, PayNearby said, “At PayNearby, our goal has always been to build a progressive society. We are always on a citizen empowerment mission and look to bring India at the forefront of digitization, on a global level. For this, we want to ensure that the benefits of all government services reach every nook and corner of the country in a consumer-friendly manner. In line with this and to further Bharat’s digital journey, the launch of the UMANG service for PayNearby retailers will go a long way in taking this digitalization journey a level up and helping masses seamlessly access these e-Gov services, and gradually make them digital-savvy.

We have been continuously working on innovation-led partnership models to offer cutting-edge solutions to all at last mile. We feel this integration will result in the increased consumption of services at the grass-root level as PayNearby retailers enjoy a very high level of trust and familiarity with their communities. The assisted service provided by them would not only add ease to consumers’ lives but also make them aware citizens who are cognizant of the various services provided by the government for their upliftment and growth. PayNearby, Zidd Aage Badhne Ki!”