News Summary

India has granted WhatsApp permission to expand its payment service, WhatsApp Pay, to all users in the country, marking a significant milestone for Meta in one of its largest markets. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has lifted the previous cap of 100 million users, allowing WhatsApp to compete more directly with leading fintech services like Google Pay and PhonePe, which currently dominate the UPI transaction space. This decision reflects a shift in regulatory stance towards digital payment services and aligns with India’s broader goals of digital and financial inclusion. WhatsApp aims to enhance user convenience with features such as bill payments, ticket booking, and shopping through its platform.