Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has selected Network People Services Technologies Limited (NPST) to deploy UPI 123Pay, a voice-based UPI payment system aimed at users who do not rely on conventional UPI apps. NPST will implement the solution in partnership with MissCallPay.

UPI 123Pay addresses an estimated 850 million people in India who have not adopted UPI. This includes about 400 million feature-phone users and many smartphone users who are not comfortable with digital interfaces.

Regulators have encouraged banks and fintech companies to use inclusive technologies that extend UPI to people with limited digital literacy or unreliable internet access.

Through the new system, IOB customers who currently depend on cash will be able to make digital payments using MissCallPay. Users give a missed call to a specific number and receive an IVR call-back, where they input the transaction amount and their UPI PIN. Payments can be completed through simple voice or keypad prompts.

The system works without mobile data or internet connectivity. Because transactions occur offline, exposure to cyber threats is reduced. The IVR platform supports 12 Indian languages and allows users to check balances, view their last five transactions, raise disputes, and manage their UPI PIN. It also supports resuming interrupted transactions, token-based or token-less payments, and managing linked accounts.

Deepak Chand Thakur, Chairman and Managing Director, NPST, said, “Voice-based UPI marks a transformative step towards building a truly inclusive digital economy. By extending UPI to feature phone users and individuals less familiar with technology, we are ensuring that digital payments reach every segment of society. Our partnership with Indian Overseas Bank reflects our belief that meaningful innovation must be both accessible and inclusive.”

“As we look ahead, we see immense potential in combining this voice-led framework with emerging Agentic AI capabilities to create conversational payment experiences through platforms such as Alexa and Google Assistant. This will redefine how people engage with money, making digital payments simple, human, and universally accessible,” Thakur added.

(Edited by : Vivek Dubey)