Amazon’s move to offer UPI-based service hits data localisation hurdle
Bengaluru: Ecommerce major Amazon’s plan to launch its own UPI payment service in the country is stuck due to concerns around the storage of data within India, said two bankers in the know of the matter.
The online retail giant is the second US tech firm, after Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp, whose plan to offer Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based service has been delayed.
Multinationals keen on entering payments space in India through inter-bank fund transfer railroad UPI are now waiting for more clarity on data storage from the Reserve Bank of India, the two bankers told ET on condition of anonymity. “Both WhatsApp Payments and Amazon Pay have not gone live due to similar reasons,” one of them said. “Now with the draft Personal Data Protection Bill also being put out for consultations, these players have to wait for the final decision.”
Amazon has roped in Axis Bank to start issuing UPI handles to users of Amazon Pay, sources said. Amazon earlier this year introduced UPI as a mode of payment on its website. “We are excited about UPI as it democratises the payments experience for banked customers by simplifying mobile payments across more than 50 banks and powering use cases like money transfers,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a written reply to ET.
The company, however, did not comment on the Axis Bank partnership or its plans on data localisation.
