



Mint Explainer | What losing its payments bank licence means for Paytm
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.On Monday, shares of One97 Communications Ltd, which operates Paytm, fell more than 8% intraday before trimming losses to close 1% lower at ₹1,137.80 apiece on the National Stock Exchange. The decline followed the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) cancellation of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd’s (PPBL) licence.But what triggered the action, and what does it mean for India’s fintech major? Mint breaks it down.PPBL, launched in May 2017, had long been under regulatory scrutiny over its operational structure and dependence on its parent’s technology systems and data-sharing arrangements.Over time, RBI flagged concerns including breaches of deposit limits and weak know-your-customer (KYC) controls, which it said weakened safeguards against money laundering risks.
In October 2023, the bank faced a significant penalty for non-compliance.The pressure escalated in January, when the RBI barred PPBL from fresh deposits, wallet top-ups and FASTag recharges. Since then, it has largely remained inactive, apart from existing customer balances still parked in accounts, estimated by some reports at around ₹800 crore.The licence cancellation on Monday marked the culmination of this tightening.Paytm had already begun unwinding its dependence on PPBL before the latest escalation.After the January curbs, it quickly restructured its payments stack, moving UPI handles to partner banks, shutting wallet-linked operations, and dismantling inter-company arrangements tied to PPBL.
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