UPI Outage Hits Thousands Across India, SBI and Other Banks Also Affected
The issue began in the early afternoon on Saturday, with reports quickly flooding in from across the country. In addition to UPI platforms, several major banking services have also been affected, particularly those provided by SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and Bank of Baroda.
New Delhi: Thousands of users across the country are currently experiencing disruptions in online payments via Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms. Popular apps like Paytm, Google Pay, and several others have been affected, leading to widespread inconvenience and frustration among users.
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The issue began in the early afternoon on Saturday, with reports quickly flooding in from across the country. In addition to UPI platforms, several major banking services have also been affected, particularly those provided by SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and Bank of Baroda.
Downdetector Shows Spike in Complaints
According to Downdetector, a platform that tracks real-time outages, more than 1,200 users reported issues related to UPI services. Among these:
- 68% reported problems while making payments
- 31% faced trouble during fund transfers
- 1% encountered issues while making purchases
Social media platforms have been flooded with complaints, with users voicing concerns about failed transactions during essential activities like shopping, bill payments, and fund transfers.
No Official Word from NPCI Yet
Despite the growing number of complaints and the widespread impact, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) — which operates the UPI system — has not yet issued any official statement regarding the outage. The cause of the disruption remains unknown, and there is no timeline available for the restoration of services.
Authorities and experts are urging users to keep alternative payment options such as credit/debit cards or cash ready until normalcy returns.
What is UPI?
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payment system developed by the NPCI that allows seamless money transfers between bank accounts via mobile applications. It supports peer-to-peer transactions, bill payments, merchant payments, and AutoPay for recurring bills, making it an essential component of India’s digital economy.
The current disruption highlights the scale of reliance on UPI and the need for robust backup systems in the face of sudden outages.
