Your UPI payments could soon be more private; NPCI plans to mask phone numbers on UPI apps

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has instructed UPI apps and banks to mask user phone numbers by September 4, 2026. This move aims to enhance user privacy and align the UPI system with India's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Fintech. Wire is Fusion42's founder-focused intelligence feed: each story is connected to the funds and startups it names — every one with a live profile on Raise or Scout — so founders can follow the capital and the momentum behind the headline rather than just the headline itself. Wire analysis is one of the live surfaces Arthur reasons over.