India to roll out biometric authentication for UPI payments from Oct 8: Report

Indians can now make Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments using facial recognition and fingerprints starting October 8, said an official source at the National Payments Corporation of India.

The authentication will rely on biometric data stored in the government’s Aadhaar system, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

This development follows recent Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines that permit alternative payment authentication methods, marking a shift from the current system that requires a numeric PIN.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which operates UPI, is expected to demonstrate the new biometric feature at the ongoing Global Fintech Festival in Mumbai.

NPCI is yet to respond.