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NPCI, IRCTC, and CoRover have introduced “Conversational Voice Payments” for UPI at the Global Fintech Fest 2024, marking a significant leap in the ease of digital transactions. This new feature, integrated with payment gateways and powered by BharatGPT, allows customers to complete transactions using their voice or by typing their UPI ID or mobile number.
When a mobile number is provided, the system automatically retrieves the corresponding UPI ID and initiates the payment request via the user’s default UPI app.
The feature offers flexibility, enabling users to update their mobile number or UPI ID within the transaction time limit. This groundbreaking technology, the first of its kind for UPI payments, aims to break down language barriers and make transactions more human-centric and accessible. CoRover’s voice-enabled BharatGPT enhances the multilingual system, supporting Hindi, Gujarati, and other languages, ensuring inclusivity in the payment process.
Vishal Anand Kanvaty, CTO of NPCI, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I am really excited for this launch because it addresses India and Bharat. Also, I think it helps all the citizens of this country to make the payment very seamless. I am really excited, we launched UPI123 last year, but the real use cases have started now, and I think I am really excited about this one because we will see this scale happening on this.”
Sanjay Kumar Jain, CMD of IRCTC, added, “As I speak, your payment will not get deducted. You have to speak; you have to raise your voice to get your payment deducted and get the tickets. That’s what we are offering.”
Ankush Sabharwal, Founder and CEO of CoRover.ai, highlighted the natural evolution of technology, saying, “What’s the natural way to interact? The natural way is that we see and talk, so why should technology not talk? In this pursuit, with the help of NPCI and IRCTC, you will now be able to talk to Disha and ask her to get your ticket booked, including payment. It is just a start; you will see everything, even hardware products talking.”
The integration of Conversational Voice Payments into AskDISHA, the AI virtual assistant for IRCTC and Indian Railways, allows users to book tickets and make payments using just their voice. This launch represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of AI, digital payments, and eCommerce, ushering in a more intuitive and convenient booking experience.
