Google seeks RBI Approval to initiate Android Pay Services

Technology giant Google has completed the testing of its Unified Payments Interface payment service and awaiting Reserve Bank of India's approval to launch its service in the country, the National Payments Corporation of India said.

The umbrella organisation for all retail payments system in India also said, Facebook and WhatsApp too were in discussion with it regarding rolling out of their UPI payment services.

"WhatsApp, Facebook and Google are on the way, they are on the job, and discussions are on.. Very soon these three will get operational," NPCI MD & CEO A P Hota told reporters in Bengaluru.

"Quite likely Google would come first, because their testing is more or less complete... We have written to RBI seeking approval just two or three days back," he said.

"As far as WhatsApp is concerned, discussions have commenced, it requires a series of discussions... For Facebook, discussions are in preliminary stage," he added.

Officials said while Google could have a separate app with its Android Pay application, the other two will integrate with their instant messaging - Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

Stating that in the UPI, each of the banks can have their own application, he said there are 50 banks who are members of UPI and out of them 37 banks have developed their own UPI applications.

Google, Facebook and Whatsapp are very big players... Technically it is feasible, but RBI would have to take a holistic look... they will have to look whether there are any risks other than the technology aspect," he said.

Besides, Hota said e-commerce giant Amazon and cab hailing space Uber will soon accept UPI payments. Noting that UPI is being taken up in a big way, he said, "a good deal of amazing work is underway, Amazon will shortly come in, the testing and integration process is on... Uber - process is on; Ola- process has been completed... Money transfer, payment process is being made easier."