The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched in 2016, has significantly transformed India’s digital payment ecosystem. With over 45 billion transactions worth ₹84 trillion recorded in 2022 (NPCI, 2022), UPI has emerged as a powerful tool with the potential to significantly enhance income generation and financial resilience among women-led microenterprises in rural areas near Delhi—particularly in the districts of Meerut, Bulandshahr, and Hapur in Western Uttar Pradesh. This study, based on primary data from a structured survey of 120 women entrepreneurs engaged in small-scale businesses such as tailoring, dairy production, grocery retail, and handicrafts, and supplementary insights from secondary sources, including reports from NPCI, RBI, and NITI Aayog (2017–2022), reveals an average 25% increase in monthly income following UPI adoption, an expanded customer base, enhanced savings behaviour, and easier access to microcredit via digital platforms. However, significant challenges persist—40–45% of respondents reported issues such as poor internet connectivity, limited digital literacy, and concerns about digital fraud. The study suggests recommendations to promote digital literacy training, community awareness campaigns, and infrastructure development for inclusive growth and building of digital financial capabilities of the rural women entrepreneurs.

KEYWORDS: Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Women Entrepreneurs, Rural Economy, Digital Inclusion, Western Uttar Pradesh, Financial Resilience, Income Generation.