As India’s digital payments ecosystem continues to evolve, UPI has firmly established itself as the preferred mode of payment for millions of mobile-first users. Riding this shift, ChanaJor OTT is leveraging UPI AutoPay to scale its subscription base across the country, particularly among audiences in smaller towns and semi-urban markets where UPI usage is deeply entrenched.

According to a press release, the platform, which focuses on mid-length and short-form Indian-language content, has seen UPI AutoPay emerge as a key enabler in managing recurring subscriptions. By simplifying the payment process and reducing manual intervention, the system has helped ChanaJor OTT reach a wider user base while ensuring continuity of access to content.

Explaining the impact of UPI on the platform’s growth, Pratap Jain, Founder and CEO of ChanaJor OTT, said the service caters to a largely mobile-first audience for whom UPI is the most familiar and trusted digital payment option. He noted that UPI AutoPay allows users to authorise a subscription once, after which the amount is automatically deducted on the due date unless the mandate is cancelled. This, he said, removes the burden of remembering renewal dates and making repeated payments every month.

From the platform’s perspective, Jain pointed out that AutoPay helps reduce failed renewals and ensures uninterrupted access to content. Given UPI’s wide adoption across India, including rural and semi-urban regions, he said the system makes subscriptions more accessible and affordable, while still offering users complete control to pause or cancel mandates at any time.

Despite its advantages, Jain acknowledged that adoption challenges persist. He explained that UPI AutoPay is still a relatively new behaviour for many users, with hesitation around recurring debits being a major reason for lower approval rates. Users often drop off when they encounter AutoPay prompts, largely due to concerns about ongoing deductions and uncertainty around deactivation. Additional friction during mandate creation, such as multiple steps, PIN entries, unclear bank messaging, app timeouts and inconsistent experiences across UPI apps, also contributes to incomplete transactions.

Even so, UPI continues to dominate subscription payments on the platform. Jain said ChanaJor OTT sees an approximate 15:85 split between card payments and UPI, underscoring how strongly user behaviour favours UPI at scale. While card transactions may show higher success rates, they involve more steps, including entering card details and completing OTP verification, whereas UPI payments typically require only a PIN. With intent-based UPI flows gaining traction, the payment experience is becoming faster and more seamless.

From a merchant standpoint, Jain highlighted that UPI AutoPay remains cost-effective and scalable, particularly for small and frequent transactions common in OTT subscriptions. Lower MDR costs allow platforms to retain more revenue, making UPI a sustainable option for digital services operating on affordable pricing models.

Jain believes UPI AutoPay is playing a larger role beyond payments, helping millions of Indians access digital content conveniently and securely, while enabling platforms like ChanaJor OTT to grow sustainably in an increasingly competitive digital ecosystem.