UPI platforms are down across the country. Reacting to the development, National Payments Commission of India said: “NPCI is currently facing intermittent technical issues, leading to partial UPI transaction declines. We are working to resolve the issue, and will keep you updated. We regret the inconvenience caused.”
NPCI is currently facing intermittent technical issues, leading to partial UPI transaction declines. We are working to resolve the issue, and will keep you updated.
We regret the inconvenience caused.
— NPCI (@NPCI_NPCI) April 12, 2025
Google Pay, Paytm Down
Multiple payment platforms reported declined transactions since Saturday morning. By 1:45 PM, Google Pay highlighted 462 failure reports, while Paytm saw 56 reports, on Downdetector.
Bank Operations Impacted
The widespread UPI outage threw daily financial transactions into disarray across the country. The disruption rippled through several top-tier banks, including HDFC Bank, State Bank of India, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, leaving countless users unable to complete routine payments.
This latest incident adds to a growing list of recent technical glitches that have cast a shadow over the reliability of UPI services. Just weeks ago, on March 26, a similar failure left users without access for nearly three hours. As more individuals and businesses lean on UPI for everything from grocery shopping to large-scale business operations, even a short disruption can cause significant operational chaos.
Adding to the mix, this outage comes on the heels of new international transaction guidelines announced by the NPCI on April 8. These updates restrict the use of QR codes for cross-border payments in a bid to tighten payer verification, although domestic transaction limits remain unchanged. While the changes are intended to enhance global transaction security, they also underscore how the digital payments ecosystem is constantly evolving to meet new regulatory and security challenges.
UPI has become deeply embedded in India’s financial landscape, serving as a vital bridge between consumers and merchants. Yet the recent spate of service interruptions raises serious concerns about the infrastructure’s resilience. Could these outages signal deeper issues—ranging from server overload and scheduled maintenance gone awry to potential cybersecurity threats?
With digital payments platforms like Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay, all relying on UPI rails, the effects of the downtime aren’t limited to one platform. The shared impact underscores a broader industry need for enhanced system robustness and transparency.
