Bhim powers up; Privacy hit for RTI

Time of India

a day ago

Bhim powers up; Privacy hit for RTI
Also in the letter:
Bhim gets big boost as NPCI scales up incentives, offers
Driving the news:
Behind the push:
Bring users back to the Bhim ecosystem and drive usage across services.
Help banks enable UPI through their net banking and mobile apps.
Boost Bhim-powered in-app payments for online merchants.
Larger impact:
With PhonePe and Google Pay still accounting for nearly 85% of all UPI transactions, NPCI is keen to tip the balance by helping banks and smaller players grow their UPI volumes.
In this context, Bhim is more than just an app; it's a strategic lever for diversifying the UPI landscape and bringing banks back into the payments game.
UPI sees marginal dip in June transactions, value down 4%
Numberwise:
UPI processed 18.40 billion transactions last month, a slight decrease from 18.68 billion in May.
The total value declined 4% to Rs 24.04 lakh crore from Rs 25.14 lakh crore, according to NPCI data.
Behind the dip?
Also Read:
Privacy bill could be sent to AG for assessing RTI impact
Quick recap:
Pretext of privacy?
Centre's stance:
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What's next:
Centre advises permitting bike taxis; states to take final call
Driving the news:
Yes, but:
Industry response:
Also Read:
Karnataka outlines welfare norms for gig workers:
Govt eyes August-September start to electronic parts PLI approvals
Tell me more:
A project management agency is expected to be appointed within a month to screen nearly 100 applications. Approvals will follow soon after.
The scheme aims to attract an investment of Rs 59,350 crore, build capacity worth Rs 4.56 lakh crore, and generate around 91,600 direct jobs.
Catch up:
The Union Cabinet cleared the Rs 22,919-crore PLI scheme on March 28.
Applicants include both established players and new entrants to the market.
As we reported earlier, Dixon, Tata Electronics, Zetwerk and Foxconn are among those planning investments.
Quote, unquote:
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Happy Wednesday! Users are returning to the payments app Bhim, attracted by cashbacks and incentives. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch.■ Bike taxis' new champion■ Electronic parts PLI■ X bemoans blocksThe National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)-run consumer payment app Bhim is making a comeback , offering cashbacks and incentives to attract users again, and early signs indicate it's succeeding.Bhim has more than doubled its monthly transactions, from 33 million in January 2025 to around 75 million now. NPCI has established a new subsidiary, NBSL (NPCI Bhim Services Limited), and is backing it with a substantial marketing budget of Rs 150-200 crore this financial year to rekindle user interest in the government-backed app.According to sources, the key objectives are clear:NPCI's renewed focus on Bhim signals a fresh ambition to strengthen its consumer-facing presence.The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), experienced a marginal decline in both transaction volume and value in June.Seasonal factors, such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), which boosted UPI transaction volumes in May, weren't present in June, industry executives observed. Nonetheless, volume growth on an annual basis remains robust and is expected to persist.UPI also experienced several service disruptions recently , impacting users of Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, and banking apps.Are digital privacy and the right to information in conflict?To settle the matter, the Centre will refer the proposed Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act to Attorney General R Venkataramani for his legal opinion on whether the new law conflicts with the Right to Information (RTI) Act.The DPDP Act empowers citizens to have greater control over their personal data. It was passed in August 2023 but has not been enforced yet, as the government is still finalising its Rules after seeking public feedback in January.Critics, including civil society groups and the opposition, argue that the Act weakens the RTI law. Specifically, it removes a clause that permitted the disclosure of personal data if it served the public interest and did not unjustifiably invade privacy. They fear this could reduce transparency and shield governments from scrutiny.Government officials maintain the Act remains a priority. One of them said, 'The government's view is that the DPDP Act doesn't dilute the RTI Act,' one of these officials asserted.ETtech Top 5 and Morning Dispatch are must-reads for India's tech and business leaders, including startup founders, investors, policy makers, industry insiders and employees.Interested? Reach out to us at [e-mail] to explore sponsorship opportunities.In a boost for bike taxi operators such as Rapido, Uber, and Ola, the Centre has issued an advisory permitting the use of private two-wheelers for shared mobility services.The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued updated aggregator guidelines, suggesting that states allow non-commercial bikes to operate as bike taxis.However, implementation depends on individual states, which retain the final authority.Ride-hailing platforms welcomed the move but said swift and consistent adoption across states is essential for regulatory clarity and business continuity.Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has released draft rules aimed at improving gig worker welfare. The state has formed two working groups to suggest platform levies, technological improvements, and welfare initiatives.Platforms and stakeholders have one month to submit feedback on the proposals.The government is likely to begin approving applications under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for electronic components by August-September, a senior official told us.'The scheme will have the most impact on components that can be assembled or manufactured in India, such as batteries, camera modules, display modules and others, which make up a significant chunk of device costs,' said Neil Shah of Counterpoint Research.Elon Musk's X has urged the Karnataka High Court to declare the Information Technology Act rule that permits the government to block posts as unconstitutional and exceeding the original scope of the law.The data centre infrastructure startup will use the funds for hardware production, hiring a software team, and covering operational costs, said CEO Rajiv Ganth.The regulatory tech startup has raised $4.8 million in a funding round led by Nexus Venture Partners to expand its teams in Bengaluru and London and develop additional product modules for AI-native governance, risk, and compliance solutions.■ Tech giants play musical chairs with foundation models ( Axios ■ Chinese students are using AI to beat AI detectors ( Rest of World ■ Sam Altman slams Meta's AI talent poaching spree: 'Missionaries will beat mercenaries' ( Wired