Overview
- A photo posted on X by user Hemant on June 14 showed a Bengaluru autorickshaw driver raising his wrist to display a scannable QR code on his smartwatch for a fare between Indiranagar and Koramangala.
- The post quickly went viral and drew widespread online reactions that framed the moment as a sign of Bengaluru’s tech-driven everyday culture.
- Multiple outlets reported that the passenger scanned the smartwatch QR and the payment completed instantly, a detail attributed to the passenger’s account in the viral post.
- At least one news outlet noted it could not independently verify every detail of the viral post and reported engagement figures vary across reports.
- The episode reflects two broader trends in India: near-universal UPI QR acceptance at small merchants and the growing ability of inexpensive wearables to store or display QR codes, which can speed payments for drivers and reduce friction for city transactions.