Government's nod awaited to start WhatsApp payment feature in India: Zuckerberg
New Delhi, July 27 : Facing intense scrutiny in India over the spread of misinformation and fake news on WhatsApp, its parent company Facebook has said it is waiting for a green signal from the government to roll out peer-to-peer payments feature for over 200 million users on the instant mobile messaging platform.
In an earnings call with analysts after reporting its Q2 2018 results, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company has been testing the payment feature on WhatsApp in India for some time.
"It gives people a really simply way to send money to each other and contribute to greater financial inclusion. The feedback and usage have been strong. All signs point to a lot of people wanting to use this when the government gives us the green light," Zuckerberg said.
Earlier this year, WhatsApp launched a beta version of its Payments feature in India for nearly one million users.
The move -- set to give a tough competition to market leader Paytm -- evoked criticism from digital payment services who sought fair play, claiming WhatsApp has custom-implemented Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system which is not secure and flouts norms laid out by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) that has developed the UPI system.
Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma also demanded a level-playing field for all UPI-based apps.
Clearing the air on the issue of "lack of fair play", the NPCI in February said that the full-scale public launch of the feature will be permitted only after the Facebook-owned platform meets all the required norms.
"Currently, NPCI has given its consent to roll out WhatsApp BHIM UPI beta launch with limited user base of one million and low per transaction limit," said the corporation.
"Four banks will join the multi-bank BHIM UPI model in phases and full feature product shall be released after the beta test is successful," the NPCI added.
Beta testers in India found their WhatsApp interface displaying a large list of supported banks and they can see a payments feature appear in their WhatsApp Settings menu.
But there was no news from WhatsApp after that.
According to Zuckerberg who lost almost $17 billion within an hour after the company reported slow users' growth in Q2 2018, "we've broadened our focus to building this [Payments feature] for other countries so we can give more people this ability faster".
Hauled up this month by the Indian government on its failure to check the spread of fake and provocative content on its platform amid growing lynching episodes, the Facebook-owned platform on July 20 launched a test to limit message forwarding to five chats that will apply to its users in India.
At least 30 people have lost their lives by lynch mobs after rumours, including that of child lifting, triggered via messages on WhatsApp.
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India can never permit others to have veto on its choices: EAM Jaishankar
Mumbai (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said India can never permit others to have a veto on its choices and will do whatever is right in the national interest and for the global good without being intimidated to “conform”.
In a video message for a function in Mumbai on Saturday, he said when India is etched more deeply in global consciousness, its repercussions are truly profound.
In a world grappling with unhealthy habits, stressed lifestyles or recurring climate events, there is much learning to be gained from India’s heritage. But the world will only know when the countrymen take pride in it, he said.
In an age of globalisation, technology and tradition must march together, said Jaishankar.
“Bharat will inevitably progress but it must do so without losing its Bharatiyata. Only then can we truly emerge as a leading power in a multi-polar world,” he said.
Jaishankar was conferred the 27th SIES Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati National Eminence Award. The awards are given in four fields – Public Leadership, Community Leadership, Human endeavour, Science and Technology and Social Leadership – with primacy on spiritualism.
The awards are named after the late 68th Seer of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi.
The foreign minister did not attend the event but sent his video message.
“Independence should never be confused with neutrality. We will do whatever is right in our national interest and for global good without being intimidated to conform. Bharat can never permit others to have a veto on its choices,” he said.
“For too long we were schooled to visualise progress and modernity as a rejection of our heritage and traditions,” Jaishankar said.
Perhaps, this came from an affinity for imported models, or perhaps it was a discomfort with its own practices. But now as the deepening of democracy has thrown up more authentic voices, the country is rediscovering itself and finding again its own persona, he said.
Jaishankar said India is an exceptional nation because it is a civilisation state. Such a country will only exercise influence when it fully leverages its cultural strengths in the global arena, he said.
“To that it is essential that we ourselves, the younger generation, are fully aware of the value and significance of our heritage. This can be articulated at various levels, but most importantly it should have an impact at the societal level,” he said.
Jaishankar said India is poised today at a crucial juncture. On the one hand, the last decade has demonstrated that it has the capabilities, confidence and, most importantly, the commitment to advance development across broad fronts.
It has shown that the age-old problems of poverty, discrimination and lack of opportunities can be indeed addressed. On the global stage, it has established itself as an independent power but one committed to global good, especially the well-being of the global south, he said.
“At the same time, however, the constraints and limitations that have long been our bane still remain in place. There are viewpoints and ideologies which are more pessimistic and even denigrating of ourselves,” added Jaishankar.
