WhatsApp pay has moved closer to its official launch in India. The system has previously encountered a number of roadblocks in the country preventing it from launching. However, the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), has now certified that it is compliant with the data localization requirements.
Last year, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had asked NCPI to ensure that the WhatsApp Pay meets all requirements before getting the go ahead for a launch. In a court filing last month, the Times of India reported that NCPI had told RBI that the system was now in compliance.
WhatsApp Pay has been in testing in India for the last two years with a million users. The company is now waiting for the final nod from the RBI before it launches officially to the over 400 million WhatsApp users in India. With all systems in place, the App has already embarked on a new project to make services such as credit and insurance available to its users.
TechCrunch published a report in June, placing Google Pay at the top in payment apps in India with 75 million users, followed by Walmart-owned PhonePe. Both apps rely on Unified Payments Interface (UPI); which is the same protocol that WhatsApp pay operates on.
WhatsApp India’s head, Abhijit Bose, last week said that its new payment system could bring in at least 200 million more customers to UPI.
WhatsApp Pay launched its services in Brazil in June only to be shut down a week later following non-compliance and failure to integrate well into the country’s financial system. The services were suspended pending the development of a clear road map that will see the payment system work in tandem with Brazil’s financial players.
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