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The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has asked Google and WhatsApp to share plans regarding how they intend to store all UPI-based payment data exclusively within India. At present, both companies do store all payment data in India, but they also keep a mirror copy abroad.

According to an ET report, the NPCI has sent letters to both Google and WhatsApp asking them to comply with guidelines set by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Storage of data of Indian users on their respective UPI-based payment apps exclusively within the country was made mandatory by RBI, and the deadline set by the bank was October 15.

“Companies say they store payments data in India, but are keeping a mirror copy abroad. India, however, is looking at keeping everything locally,” a senior government official told ET.

While Google hasn’t said anything specifically about the RBI regulation, its spokesperson in a statement to ET said, “We are working to increase our data residency capacity in India to support our partners that are regulated by RBI.”

WhatsApp, on the other hand, had earlier said that it has started storing payments data in India, but there was no clarity on whether the data is being stored  ‘exclusively’ within the country.

