India's ATM Count Declines as Digital Payments Rise

India's ATM network has been shrinking over the past 3 years, with the total count dropping from 2,18,815 in March 2024 to 2,09,331 in March 2026, as per The NDTV Profit news report.  

By July 2026, the number slightly recovered to 2,09,812, but this still represents a loss of nearly 9,000 machines since March 2024. This decline is occurring as digital payments continue to grow. 

ATM Network Changes Across Bank Types 

The reduction in ATMs is not uniform across all bank types. Public sector banks have increased their share of the ATM network from 61.56% to 64.18% over the period.  

Conversely, private banks have decreased their share from 36.51% to 33.76%. Small finance banks have more than doubled their share, albeit from a smaller base. 

Decline in ATM Usage 

While the number of ATMs has decreased, the value of transactions through ATMs and cash recycler machines (CRMs) has also fallen.  

From ₹2.77 lakh crore in March 2024, the transaction value dropped to ₹2.20 lakh crore by July 2026, marking a decline of over 20% in just over 2 years. 

Rise of Digital Payments 

During the same period, online transaction volumes nearly doubled, increasing from 20.69 crore to 33.51 crore. Debit card spending also fell from ₹3.21 lakh crore to ₹2.57 lakh crore. This indicates a shift in consumer behaviour towards Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and other digital payment methods. 

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Conclusion 

India's ATM count decreased from 2,18,815 in March 2024 to 2,09,812 by July 2026. Public sector banks increased their share, while private banks reduced theirs. ATM transaction value fell from ₹2.77 lakh crore to ₹2.20 lakh crore, as digital payments rose significantly. 

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