# NPCI Chief: 0.4% UPI MDR Could Recover Rs 15,000 Crore

> NPCI chief says proposed 0.4% UPI merchant discount rate could recover Rs 15,000 crore in first year.
- Title: NPCI Chief: 0.4% UPI MDR Could Recover Rs 15,000 Crore
- Summary: NPCI chief says proposed 0.4% UPI merchant discount rate could recover Rs 15,000 crore in first year. NPCI chief Dilip Asbe states proposed 0.4% UPI merchant…
- Keywords: npci, upi, merchant discount rate, rs 15000 crore, seahawks, nfl, Chief, MDR, Recover, 000, Crore, The Economic Times
- Source: The Economic Times — https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/banking/finance/proposed-0-4-upi-mdr-could-recover-rs-15000-crore-in-first-year-npci-chief/articleshow/134456142.cms
- Author: Saloni Shukla
- Published: 2026-09-24T08:31:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: npci, upi, merchant discount rate, rs 15000 crore, seahawks, nfl
## NPCI Chief Statement
NPCI chief Dilip Asbe says proposed 0.4% UPI merchant discount rate could recover Rs 13,000-15,000 crore in first year.

> We thought rs 13000-15000 crore could be a reasonable value in year one to recover from the ecosystem
## MDR Pool Breakdown
80% of MDR pool comes from merchants already accepting credit cards.

> The majority part of the mdr will come from existing merchants who are paying mdr for credit cards
## Small Business Impact
Only 10% of MDR value from merchants not accepting credit cards.

> The remaining 10%, yes, there is a possibility
## Funding Plan
5% of MDR revenue funds small merchants to reach 10 million card-accepting businesses.

> This could fund around 20 million soundboxes and help double the number of card-accepting merchants to 10 million
## Agentic Payments
NPCI preparing to launch agentic payments framework with RBI approval.

> In the next few months, we should be able to launch our own agentic payments
## Next Steps
Agentic payments could help small merchants reach wider customer base without platform fees.

> Agentic commerce could help smaller merchants become discoverable to a wider customer base without having to depend on large platforms that charge commissions of 20-30%
## Key takeaway

NPCI chief Dilip Asbe states proposed 0.4% UPI merchant discount rate could recover Rs 13,000-15,000 crore in first year to fund UPI growth.