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Kochi Textile Merchants Announce Protest Against UPI MDR Move

KTGA scheduled a Kochi march and demonstration for 6 October 2026 to oppose MDR on eligible UPI merchant transactions; the available report does not confirm the event took place.
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The Kerala Textiles and Garments Dealers Welfare Association (KTGA) announced a march and demonstration in Kochi for 6 October 2026, protesting the proposed merchant discount rate (MDR) on certain UPI payments. The available report, published on 5 October, describes a planned event; it does not confirm that the protest took place or report its attendance or outcome.

What KTGA announced in Kochi

According to Society Today News’ report of 5 October 2026, KTGA scheduled a march starting at 10:30 a.m. from its District Committee Office on Gopal Prabhu Road. The march was to proceed to a demonstration near the BSNL office at Park Avenue.

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The report named KTGA State Secretary K. Krishnan and Treasurer M.N. Babu as participants who would flag off the march, and said MLA T.J. Vinod would inaugurate the demonstration. These are details of the announced programme, not confirmation that the named activities occurred.

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What the protest is about

KTGA’s stated demand was withdrawal of the decision to impose a fee on eligible UPI transactions above ₹2,000. That shorthand should not be read as a fee on every UPI payment: the government framework concerns selected person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions. The Department of Financial Services FAQ dated 15 September 2026 sets out the operative transaction scope, rates, exemptions and effective dates.

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The fee is called a merchant discount rate, or MDR. The Ministry of Finance says MDR is a merchant-side payment acceptance fee, not a tax and not a charge collected by the Government or NPCI. Its 15 September 2026 release should be read alongside the dated FAQ when interpreting the current framework.

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What UPI users and merchants should know

It does not apply to every UPI transfer

The framework is limited to selected merchant P2M transactions. Person-to-person transfers and other transactions should not be assumed to attract the same treatment. Eligibility depends on the conditions and categories in the official FAQ, rather than simply on the fact that a payment uses UPI.

The stated charge is merchant-side

The Ministry said in an 8 August 2026 statement that consumers would not face UPI transaction charges, and that any merchant MDR would apply only to a limited set of transactions above a threshold. The later September FAQ and release provide the more current detail about which transactions are covered.

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Small-merchant treatment depends on eligibility

The official FAQ treats small merchants according to category and conditions; it does not support a blanket claim that every small business is exempt. Merchants should consult its criteria for their specific category and transaction type.

Why traders have raised cost concerns

Merchant groups have argued that MDR on high-value sales could add to operating costs. In a Times of India report published 17 September 2026, Kerala Gold and Silver Merchants Association State General Secretary S. Abdul Nazar warned that repeated charges on high-value jewellery transactions could accumulate as an expense.

That concern is a trade representative’s view, not a measured estimate for textile shops. The available reporting does not quantify the effect on Kochi textile merchants or establish that local retailers have incurred increased costs under the framework.

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