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One 97 Communications Ltd, the parent company that operates the brand Paytm, reported an over 10-fold rise in profit after tax to Rs 225 crore in the September quarter (Q2 FY27), from Rs 21 crore a year ago, on a reported basis, marking its sixth consecutive profitable quarter. Operating revenue rose 28 per cent YoY to Rs 2,648 crore, driven by sustained momentum across merchant and consumer businesses, expanded monetisation and AI adoption. Ebitda rose 90 per cent YoY to a record Rs 270 crore, with Ebitda margin expanding to 10 per cent, reaching double digits for the first time and reflecting stronger operating profitability. For H1 FY27, profit after tax more than tripled YoY to Rs 445 crore, from Rs 144 crore a year ago, on a reported basis. On a comparable basis, excluding the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) incentive received until December 2025, underlying growth was even stronger. Operating revenue grew 33 per cent YoY and Ebitda nearly quadrupled, while Ebit
Proposed merchant discount rate (MDR) framework for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions needs to be rationalised before implementation to protect public trust in the digital payments system, according to a report. UPI, a public digital infrastructure, has generated significant convenience for users and productivity gains for the economy, with its long-term economic benefits outweighing the incremental income that could accrue from merchant transaction fees, the report titled 'UPI at a Crossroads: Reintroducing the MDR' released by IIT Bombay said. It cautioned that public trust in UPI could be undermined if the proposed MDR framework is implemented in its present form, stressing the need to ensure that the digital payments platform does not attract negative sentiment among users. The report suggested that merchants with annual turnover of Rs 50 crore or more are mandated by law to provide UPI as a means for accepting payments. Accordingly, the remuneration for the UPI ...
PhonePe on Thursday announced plans to accelerate the expansion of its merchant network and take digital payment infrastructure deeper into India's towns and villages. As part of the expansion, PhonePe plans to hire more than 20,000 frontline sales personnel on its rolls over the next year. The company will also deploy more than 50 lakh payment devices over the next 12 months, including SmartSpeakers and POS devices with approximately 50 per cent of these devices in rural India, taking digital payment acceptance deeper into Tier 6 towns and rural geographies. The recently announced MDR framework allows the company to take a long view and invest in merchant expansion. Initiatives like a dedicated fund using 5 per cent of the MDR amount collected earmarked for small merchant expansion, are further catalysing these investments, especially in deep rural geographies including tier 6 towns and villages. The new labour codes introduced last year, are also enabling the company to hire faste