Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he is ‘excited’ that WhatsApp has received nod for India launch

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he is excited that its messaging service WhatsApp received approval to start a payments service in India.

The National Payments Corporation of India allowed WhatsApp on Thursday to go live on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in a graded manner, starting with a maximum of 20 million users.

“India is the first country to do anything like this,” Zuckerberg said in a video message following the NPCI go-ahead, referring to the creation of UPI. “I’m glad we were able to support this effort and work together to help achieve a more digital India. It is opening up a world of opportunities for micro and small businesses that are the backbone of the Indian economy.”