BIZARRE: 2 - What They Never Told You

India plans AI registry as it looks to roll out agentic payments, sources say

The landscape of digital finance is evolving as India's payments authority creates a registry specifically for AI agents. This registry aims to verify and oversee AI transactions, initially targeting UPI payments, with potential future expansions. By facilitating agentic payments, AI will be enabled to engage in frequent, minor digital transactions,…

The Economic Times · Sep 10

UPI still has 'lot of scope' to grow, rural and offline access key challenges: NPCI CTO

UPI has significant room for growth, especially in rural areas. Developing offline payment solutions remains a key challenge for the platform. NPCI expects UPI's international footprint to expand further into new markets. Artificial intelligence is increasingly used across NPCI's operations for various functions. The next decade will focus on user…

The Economic Times · Sep 9

7 UPI Fraud Requests That Look Completely Ordinary and Are Always a Scam in India

The Collect Request You Did Not InitiateSomeone sends you a UPI collect request, sometimes for an amount as small as ₹1, sometimes for exactly what you're owed by a stranger online. The request looks identical to a legitimate one. The difference is that approving a collect request sends money out…

Times Life · Sep 7

Payments Council backs UPI merchant charges, says users, small businesses will remain exempt

PCI said small merchants, including kirana stores, should not be charged for accepting UPI payments. Any merchant service charge would be a commercial arrangement between merchants and payment providers, not a charge on customers.

The Economic Times · Aug 7

Nearly 55.49 crore UPI users onboarded by June 2026

Around 55.49 crore UPI users were onboarded by June 2026, Parliament was informed. UPI transactions reached 24,162 crore in volume and Rs 314 lakh crore in value. NPCI International Payments is expanding UPI and RuPay to global markets. Security measures and international linkages enhance UPI's safety and reach. Government and…

The Economic Times · Jul 20

Biometric UPI transactions top 600 million in June, says NPCI

Biometric UPI transactions surpassed 600 million in June, indicating strong user preference. This secure authentication method reduces reliance on UPI PINs for faster payments. The feature supports various transactions, including RuPay Credit Card on UPI payments. Banks and UPI apps are increasingly adopting this convenient and efficient payment solution. Wider…

The Economic Times · Jul 8

NPCI partners with HSBC India & JP Morgan Payments to enable real-time FX settlement for international UPI payments

India's UPI is set for a global upgrade! The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has partnered with HSBC India and J.P. Morgan Payments to enable real-time foreign exchange conversion and faster settlement for international UPI transactions. This move promises Indians traveling abroad more transparent pricing and quicker payments, enhancing…

The Economic Times · Jul 1

Why Meta’s Cred investment matters for WhatsApp Pay in India

Meta's substantial investment in Cred and appointing its founder Kunal Shah as global head of WhatsApp signals a major push into India's fintech landscape. For Meta, with Shah at the helm, there is a chance that WhatsApp's position in India, its largest market, will go beyond messaging into payments, commerce,…

The Economic Times · Jun 23

NPCI plans to enable unified e-mandate tracking for all UPI apps

The National Payments Corporation of India is set to unify UPI e-mandate management for all third-party apps, allowing users to view subscriptions in one place. While viewing will be centralised, cancellations will still require visiting the original booking app. This move aims to simplify the rapidly growing UPI AutoPay feature,…

The Economic Times · Jun 23

UPI processes Rs 29.9 lakh crore in May; transaction volumes hit 23.2 billion

Daily average transaction volumes rose to 748 million in May from 745 million in April, reflecting higher adoption of UPI for retail consumer payments.

The Economic Times · Jun 1