Paytm rules out NBFC licence plans after RBI cancels PPBL’s banking licence

Fintech major One97 Communications, which operates the Paytm brand, has ruled out plans to apply for a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) licence.

During the company’s Q4 earnings call on Thursday (May 7, 2026), Paytm President and Group CFO Madhur Deora said, “We’re not super excited about going for an NBFC licence.” He noted Paytm’s preference for a “win-win” partnership model where Paytm handles distribution, technology, and collections, while its blue-chip lending partners manage capital, risk, and cyclicality.

“We have a very large payments market; that market is growing, and our market share is growing, and that combined with low penetration means that the opportunity in the short to medium term already is very, very large,” he said.

Last month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cancelled the banking licence issued to Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL) for non-compliance with norms, saying the affairs of the bank were conducted in a manner detrimental to the interest of its depositors.

The bank failed to comply with the conditions stipulated in the payments bank licence issued to it, the central bank said.

One97 Communications, in a company filing, had said the company has no exposure to PPBL as it had already impaired its investment in the beleaguered entity as of March 31, 2024.

Paytm on Wednesday (May 6, 2026) reported a consolidated profit of ₹183 crore in the fourth quarter ended March 2026, a turnaround from a loss of ₹545 crore in the same period a year ago.

The consolidated revenue from operations grew by 18.4% to ₹2,264 crore during the reporting quarter from ₹1,912 crore in the March 2025 quarter.

During the financial year ended March 2026, Paytm posted a consolidated profit of ₹552 crore compared to a loss of ₹663 crore in FY25.

The annual revenue from operations of Paytm grew by 22.2% to ₹8,437 crore in FY26 from ₹6,900 crore in FY25.