Cartoons by Kirtish Bhatt: economy

Thursday, September 17, 2026

UPI Charges on Transactions Above ₹2,000: सब माया है

Satirical cartoon about 0.4 percent UPI charge on merchant transactions above ₹2,000

About Cartoon:

We all love UPI because it is fast, easy, and completely free. It changed the way we buy everything from groceries to clothes. But lately, there has been a lot of talk about adding a 0.4% charge on merchant payments over ₹2,000. This has started a big debate across the country.

My cartoon, "सब माया है" (It's all an illusion), takes a funny look at this situation. First, everyone is told to stop using cash and switch to digital payments. But once everyone actually changes their habits, the rules start to change, and new fees get introduced.

Why this is a big deal for regular people:

Small Businesses Suffer: While regular people can still send money to friends for free, shopkeepers have to pay the price. A 0.4% fee might sound small, but for a small business doing many transactions a day, it really cuts into their hard-earned daily profits.
Cash Might Come Back: The main point of UPI was to get rid of cash. But if big digital bills start coming with extra fees, people and businesses might just go back to using paper money to save cash.
The Extra Cost: If shopkeepers get tired of paying these fees, they will eventually pass the cost onto the customers by raising prices. In the end, the common man is the one who pays.

This cartoon is all about that awkward moment when a free service we all depend on starts turning into a regular business with hidden costs. It reminds us that in the digital world, "free" things don't stay free forever.

Cartoon by Kirtish Bhatt.

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Cartoon on GDP Growth - Can It Make Everyday Essentials Cheaper?

Cartoon about 7.8% GDP growth and making sugar cheaper to celebrate with halwa

This cartoon takes a humorous look at the gap between impressive economic growth figures and the everyday concerns of ordinary households.

The cartoon refers to the reported 7.8% real GDP growth in the first quarter, presenting the figure as something worth celebrating. But instead of celebrating with grand speeches, fireworks or champagne, the cartoon puts the spotlight on something much more familiar: sugar and homemade halwa.

A woman standing in her kitchen suggests that if sugar could be made cheaper for just 24 hours, she could prepare halwa and “sweeten the mouth” to celebrate the strong GDP numbers. The joke works because it brings a complicated economic statistic down to the level of a basic kitchen ingredient.

GDP growth is an important measure of economic activity, but for an ordinary consumer, economic progress is often experienced through much simpler questions: Are groceries affordable? Are household expenses manageable? Can families buy the things they need without constantly worrying about prices?

The cartoon therefore plays on the contrast between headline economic numbers and household economics. A 7.8% growth figure may sound impressive at the national level, but the cartoon asks what such growth means to someone standing in a kitchen, thinking about the price of sugar.

There is also a gentle irony in the woman's suggestion. She isn't asking for a permanent reduction in prices or a major economic reform. She only wants sugar to become cheaper for 24 hours—just long enough to make a traditional sweet dish and celebrate.

That exaggeration gives the cartoon its punch. It suggests that when economic achievements are announced, people may also want to see some tangible benefit in their everyday lives.

Ultimately, the cartoon isn't dismissing GDP growth. Instead, it uses humour to ask an important question: How does impressive economic growth translate into something ordinary people can actually feel in their daily lives?

Sometimes, a bowl of halwa can explain economics more effectively than a long speech.