Government can absorb UPI network maintenance costs: BJD lawmaker

Santrupt Misra, a Member of Parliament from the Biju Janata Dal, said the government has the capacity to bear the costs associated with maintaining the Unified Payments Interface network without placing additional burden on users or service providers.

Misra's comments come amid ongoing debates about the sustainability and operational costs of UPI, which has emerged as India's dominant digital payments platform. The lawmaker pointed to the financial resources available through the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the nodal agency that operates the UPI ecosystem.

The NPCI is backed by a diverse shareholder base comprising major financial institutions and technology platforms, according to Misra. This structure, he suggested, provides sufficient capital and operational resources to support the infrastructure required for UPI's continued functioning and expansion.

The remarks reflect concerns within policy circles about balancing innovation and financial sustainability in India's digital payments landscape. As transaction volumes continue to surge, questions about long-term funding mechanisms have become increasingly relevant for stakeholders across the financial services sector.

UPI has processed hundreds of billions of transactions since its inception, establishing itself as a critical component of India's financial infrastructure and digital economy.