Gurgaon woman busts myth of ‘lavish corporate life’, says salary disappears after paydayA Gurgaon woman shared how bills and daily expenses left her with little of her salary soon after payday. Published on: Sep 1, 2026, 14:24:23 IST By Mahipal Singh Chouhan Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy
Founder who survived on bread, water at 18 thinks everyone should go ‘completely broke’ onceA Mumbai-based founder claimed that surviving on bread and water at 18 removed his fear of startup failure and financial losses. Updated on: Sep 1, 2026
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 22 states sued Amazon on Monday for allegedly "manipulating" online auctions for digital advertising, resulting in more than $20 billion in overcharges for 1.2 million customers. Amazon "has secretly and systematically overcharged its approximately 1
Always looking for a sweet treat after dinner? Fitness coach Eric Roberts shares 3 reasons for late-night sugar cravings Published on: Sep 1, 2026, 14:09:20 IST By Eshana Saha Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Read more to find out why your sugar cravings intensify at the end of the day!
3-year-old kidnapped from Delhi found 1,000 km away in Bihar; accused woman had 6 daughters, wanted a sonThe child went missing while he was playing near his mother, who had gone to the hospital to collect medicines, police said. Updated on: Sep 1, 2026
India preparing rollout of agentic payments on UPI

India is preparing a framework that would let AI agents make small digital payments without approval for every transaction, three sources familiar with the matter said, potentially making UPI one of the world's largest networks with agentic payments.
While leading payment companies have launched such frameworks in the U.S., Europe, Singapore and Australia, a rollout on the popular would also put India among the first countries to have a national infrastructure for agentic AI payments.
UPI, operated by the National Payments Corporation of India, is the world's largest retail fast-payment system by transaction volume, according to a 2025 IMF report.
It processed 24.51 billion transactions worth Rs 29.82 lakh crore ($314.21 billion) in August, with Google Pay and Walmart's PhonePe accounting for around three-fourths of monthly transaction volumes.
The Unified Agent Protocol is likely to be unveiled next week at the in Mumbai, the sources said, requesting anonymity as the details are private.
The NPCI did not immediately respond to Reuters queries seeking comment.
Early use cases
Low-value, frequent purchases such as groceries are likely to be among the first use cases, the first source said, adding that e-commerce platforms are well-placed to capture early demand.
NPCI expects use cases to eventually become more sophisticated, the source said. For example, AI agents could place orders based on sale offers and discounts and make investments based on specified instructions around price thresholds.
The protocol is expected to draw on two existing UPI mechanisms - UPI Circle, which lets a primary account holder delegate payment authority to a secondary user such as an AI agent, and Reserve Pay, which lets customers block funds for multiple debits.
Banks currently cap such blocks at Rs 10,000 ($105.44) for up to 90 days, though this limit and its validity may be revisited for agentic use, the sources added.
NPCI is expected to offer infrastructure for merchants to integrate directly, letting customers set rule-based instructions for AI agents on when and how much to pay, with built-in spending limits, audit trails and identity checks, the sources said.
They added that the NPCI plans to build in a liability framework, but did not provide details.
Global push
Global card networks Mastercard and Visa are also separately building similar agentic capabilities for payments in India, mirroring a global push by these companies to secure AI-driven commerce.
Mastercard completed its first authenticated agentic transaction in New Delhi in June.
Earlier this year, fintech firm launched its own agentic protocol, P3P, letting AI agents complete UPI payments after a single upfront authorisation.
Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: Google launches payments protocol for agentic AI transactions India accounts for 49% of global real time digital payments as UPI turns 10 Amazon Pay rolls out UPI biometric payments in India ICICI Bank launches biometric authentication for UPI payments on iMobile UPI payments surge in Oct led by groceries Now, UPI payments are possible even without a bank account Paytm App and Paytm UPI payments working normally NPCI Introduces UPI Payments With Fingerprint And Face Authentication- Read BHIM Introduces UPI Circle Full Delegation For Controlled Payments How To Use UPI Payments Without Internet
63-year-old grandmother shares 1 exercise senior citizens must do to stay independent as they age: 'Knee pain is tricky' Published on: Sep 1, 2026, 14:05:05 IST By Sanya Panwar Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Think you should skip squats due to knee pain? This 63-year-old fitness coach says
1 minutes ago
India’s economy grew 7.8% year-on-year in the April-June quarter of FY27, significantly stronger than the market expectation of around 7.1% and above the Reserve Bank of India’s 7% projection. The latest number is particularly important because it came at a time when the global economy was
2 minutes ago
Like many Gen Zs in Kozhikode, Athira K.B. enjoys eating out and spends much of her free time watching short food videos on Instagram. “If a restaurant regularly pops up on my feed, I instantly feel like checking out what makes it so special,” the 22-year-old college student says
2 minutes ago
As Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Mohan Bhagwat took the stage at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Saturday to deliver a message of “universal oneness”, a group of nearly 90 American politicians was preparing a different memo: they would not accept political contributions from entities
3 minutes ago
A five-member bench of the National Company Law Tribunal on Tuesday stayed the approval of a repayment plan under which media baron Subhash Chandra was allowed to pay Rs 6.2 crore to creditors against admitted claims of about Rs 22,006 crore in his personal insolvency resolution process
1 minutes ago
US President Donald Trump’s tenure has vindicated many in the Indian foreign policy establishment prone to reflexive anti-Americanism. However, the recent history of intensified engagement between India and the US, the ongoing bureaucratic collaboration
3 hours ago
Sensex, Nifty open flat amid renewed crude oil price rally, global tensionsThe 30-share BSE Sensex declined 307.24 points, or 0.40 per cent, to close at 76,957.27 with 20 of its constituents ending lower and 10 with gains on Monday Updated on: Sep 1, 2026
3 hours ago
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Monday (August 31, 2026) to hit Iran “hard” after the two foes traded fire for the first time in weeks, as his Treasury secretary vowed to keep up a pressure campaign aimed at hobbling Tehran’s economy. After six months of war
3 hours ago
Step inside Mouni Roy’s beautiful 4 BHK apartment in Mumbai featuring minimal décor and a cosy library Published on: Sep 1, 2026, 11:30:03 IST By Anukriti Srivastava Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Mouni Roy gave a house tour of her Mumbai 4 BHK apartment
3 hours ago
OpenAI denied Apple's allegations of trade secret theft on Monday, saying the iPhone maker failed to show any confidential information was stolen by former employees."This dispute is a mess of Apple's own making, and it is trying to blame everyone else
3 hours ago
The toll in the flash flood and mudslide in Nepal and China, which occurred on August 26, rose to 1,003 on Tuesday. Of these, 987 deaths were reported in Nepal. The remaining 16 deaths were on the Chinese side of the border, AFP reported. More than 3
3 hours ago
September 1, 2026, Birthday Horoscope: Don't let fear overpower you from experiencing something genuine todayYour birthday falls on September 1, 2026 here’s what your year ahead looks like, as per Tarot. Published on: Sep 1, 2026, 11:01:25 IST By Kishori Sud Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
3 hours ago
Toxic worldwide box office collection day 6: Yash film crashes, crawls past ₹300 crore; yet to surpass Adipurush, PeddiToxic worldwide box office collection day 6: Yash's pan-India film is now earning less than ₹10 crore per day worldwide after bad word-of-mouth. Updated on: Sep 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Naseeruddin Shah wishes 'more strength' to student protestorsFrom backing student protests to praising theatre behind bars, Naseeruddin Shah speaks up on protest, performance and the power of truth Published on: Sep 1, 2026, 11:33:59 IST By Aadrika Sominder Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
3 hours ago
The families of more than 600 workers believed to be trapped in a vast network of mud-filled tunnels along Nepal's Trishuli River are clinging to hope their loved ones can be found alive. Rescuers continued battling to reach them on Monday, using explosives to blast into the hillside before pumping
3 hours ago
Maharashtra, Assam, Bengal, Bihar join Centre in SC bid to quash FIRs against CJP protestersThe move came a day after the Centre moved the court seeking quashing of FIRs registered in connection with the CJP-led protests Updated on: Sep 1, 2026
3 hours ago
European traveller says he was scared to visit India due to 'bad image, stereotypes': 'I found more kindness than chaos' Published on: Sep 1, 2026, 10:51:25 IST By Sanya Panwar Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Expecting chaos, he found kindness: Robert says India changed how he judges places
3 hours ago
Over 200 Zomato employees in 'customer delight' section in Hyderabad to be laid offEmployees impacted by the layoffs will also be helped in their search for relevant opportunities. Published on: Sep 1, 2026, 09:36:24 IST By HT Business Desk Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Zomato is expected
3 hours ago
Refrain from sharing the Universal Account Number (UAN), password, One-Time Password (OTP), and Aadhaar details. New Delhi: EPFO has issued a cyber awareness advisory to stay alert against frauds. Cases of fraud are becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly through digital modes
3 hours ago
Meta is fixing a loophole that allowed wearers of its AI smart glasses to secretly record others without consent. Meta’s new AI smart glasses feature a white light sensor that starts blinking when the wearer is taking a photo or video through their device
3 hours ago
‘Bengaluru Metro discipline deserves appreciation’: Woman praises commuters for orderly queues, offering seatsA woman lauded Bengaluru Metro commuters for disciplined boarding, respectful behaviour and offering seats to women. Published on: Sep 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Manchester City have opened talks with Chelsea in their bid to sign midfielder Enzo Fernandez. In what is set to be one of the key narratives on transfer deadline day, City have set the wheels in motion towards what would be one of the most expensive deals of the summer
3 hours ago
PM Modi hails ‘herculean feat’, Congress asks ‘where are jobs?’: GDP figures draw mixed responseTaking a jab at his critics, Modi said some people in India, “drowned in an atmosphere of despair”, were spreading “lies” across the country. Published on: Sep 1, 2026
3 hours ago
The company said the move is aimed at strengthening transparency and food quality for consumers, and warned that restaurants failing to comply with its requirements could be removed from the platform. New Delhi: Food delivery platform Zomato on Monday said it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy on
3 hours ago
As Janmashtami approaches, homes begin to take on a festive glow. Laddu Gopal gets a new outfit, the little cradle is beautifully decorated, flowers are brought in and preparations begin for the midnight celebration. Amid all these preparations
3 hours ago
The company said Shipsy Brain draws on data linked to more than five billion shipments. This includes more than 50 billion operational events, 1.5 billion automated and human decisions, 100 billion GPS pings and over 5,000 logistics workflows. Enterprise firm on September 1 launched in beta
3 hours ago
A Singaporean diplomat who led the adoption of the UN Ocean Treaty, a Myanmar activist who put his freedom on the line for democracy, and a former Bangladeshi teacher who brought compassion to the poor were named on Monday as the winners of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awards
3 hours ago