Google plans to introduce a localised digital payment service in India as early as next week, technology website TechCrunch reported, citing a report from news site The Ken. The launch is expected on Monday, September 18, with invites being sent by the company for a New Delhi event that will see the launch of a "new product developed grounds up for India."
The payment service, called Google 'Tez', will offer payment options beyond the existing ones like Google Wallet or Android Pay, the report said.
Tez, meaning fast in Hindi, will include support for the government-backed Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and other consumer payment services including Paytm and MobiKwik, according to the report.
Google launched its payment app Android Pay in the United States two years ago.
A spokesman for Google in India did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Google, Facebook and WhatsApp were in talks with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to provide UPI-enabled payment on their platforms, the Mint daily had reported in July.
© Thomson Reuters 2017
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