The record
Written from the 2 reports below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- An Indian opposition lawmaker has opened a fight over who pays to keep the country's instant-payment rails running.
- Biju Janata Dal MP Santrupt Misra argues the government should absorb UPI network maintenance costs rather than impose a merchant discount rate — a fee charged to businesses on digital payments.
- His party is separately protesting a government proposal to levy fees on UPI transactions above ₹2,000.
- UPI is India's near-ubiquitous free-to-use payment system, so who funds its upkeep has become politically charged: the opposition frames fees as a burden on merchants and small businesses, while the government's rationale is not detailed in this coverage.
- The dispute is at proposal stage; no fee has been enacted.
- What to watch next is whether the above-₹2,000 fee proposal advances, stalls under protest, or is withdrawn, and whether other opposition parties join the BJD's campaign.
What to watch next
- Watch whether the >₹2,000 UPI fee proposal advances or is shelved
- Track finance ministry and NPCI responses to opposition pressure
- See if other parties join BJD's anti-fee protest in Parliament
What changed2
Every report on this story, newest first. Times are when each outlet published.
The Times of India1h ago[1]
BJD protests UPI changes, says Centre should fund digital paymentsThe Hindu1h ago[2]
Government can bear cost of maintaining UPI network: BJD MP Santrupt Misra
Who said what2
Only words found exactly in the article are shown, attributed and linked to the line they came from.
Santrupt Misra
Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha
2 quotes · 1 outlet
“In 2025-2026, the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) gave a dividend of ₹2.86 lakh crore to the government. A small part of this could have been kept aside for the digital-transaction infrastructure,”
In the article
…above ₹2,000, saying various alternative avenues are available to fund and support the digital-payment system. Mr. Misra said the government could have easily borne the cost of maintaining the UPI network. " In 2025-2026, the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) gave a dividend of ₹2.86 lakh crore to the government. A small part of this could have been kept aside for the digital-transaction infrastructure, " the Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha said at a press conference at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. He also highlighted that the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which operates UPI, has large financial…
“The government says the MDR will not impact consumers. But this is a complete misunderstanding of economics,”
In the article
…contributed a small part of that amount to the digital-transaction infrastructure, Mr. Misra said. He said introducing a 0.4% fee would force merchants to either reduce their profit margins or pass it on to consumers. " The government says the MDR will not impact consumers. But this is a complete misunderstanding of economics, " Mr. Misra said. The 0.4% fee on UPI payments of more than ₹2,000 made to merchants will be applicable from October 15. Published - September 19, 2026 03:40 pm IST…
Related reporting
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Why it matters5
Who is affected first and what likely follows, with a direction and a horizon. Extracted from the reports, never invented.
- Merchants (UPI transactions above ₹2,000) merchant discount rate burden· immediate
- Indian government / exchequer fiscal cost pressure· weeks
- UPI payment ecosystem (NPCI, banks, payment apps) funding model uncertainty· weeks
- BJD-government policy relations parliamentary friction· immediate
- Consumers and digital payment adoption digital payments growth risk· longer
Coverage2
All filed from India
Named India · Biju Janata Dal · National Payments Corporation of India · Reserve Bank of India · Santrupt Misra
The 2 reports are listed beside the record.
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