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PhonePe’s transaction and traffic numbers bounce back to normal
MUMBAI: Digital payments platform PhonePe today said it has bounced back hard in the last 24 hours. The platform processed over Rs 4000 crore worth of transactions in 24 hours and saw its largest-ever volume of user traffic in a single day (with over 70Mn app sessions).
PhonePe saw an extended service outage, which started immediately after the RBI moratorium on Yes Bank on March 5th (Thursday) lasting for nearly 24 hours till 6 March (Friday). The PhonePe team worked overnight with NPCI and ICICI bank, its new UPI partner to ensure all its services were up and running within a day. All merchant payment settlements were restored by Friday noon and all consumer wallet, credit, and debit card payments were restored by 3 p.m. All UPI services were restored by Friday night, with PhonePe users continuing to use their UPI @ybl handles. This ensured that there was a seamless transition for all of its 20 crore customers
PhonePe founder-CEO Sameer Nigam said: “Friday was an extraordinarily difficult situation with little precedence. We are grateful to RBI, NPCI, Yes Bank and ICICI for working collectively to ensure that millions of our customers and merchants were not inconvenienced a minute longer than necessary. The trust and loyalty of our customers and merchant partners have reposed in us by coming back in larger numbers than ever before is truly humbling. I would also like to take a moment to appreciate the mammoth effort of all the PhonePe employees who worked tirelessly for 36 hours straight with a singular focus on getting all our customer and merchant services live as fast as possible.”
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From mega bills to spontaneous dates: Swiggy Dineout Valentine’s report
From mega bills to last-minute plans, India celebrated love with flair
MUMBAI: Valentine’s Day 2026 was a feast for the senses and wallets alike, according to Swiggy Dineout. India’s on-demand dining platform revealed how the nation celebrated romance with big gestures, lively nights out, and plenty of spontaneous bookings.
Metropolitan hubs continued to rule the roost with Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad seeing the most reservations. Emerging cities aren’t far behind, with Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh joining the party. Growth was particularly striking in Surat (up 180 per cent), Vadodara (155 per cent) and Bhubaneswar (145.5 per cent) compared with the previous Saturday.
Mumbai stole the headlines with a single customer splashing out Rs 130,155 – the highest bill in the country. The city also hosted the largest single group booking, with 30 diners coming together to celebrate in style. Most Valentine’s transactions took place between 10pm and 11pm, proving love, and hunger, strike late.
Mumbai stole the spotlight with a mega-spender whose bill made everyone else blush, while savvy diners were cashing in on discounts, including a Pune customer saving 60% and another in Bengaluru saving 50 per cent. Fine dining was on fire, with bookings up 121 per cent year-on-year, though pubs, bars, and lounges remained the crowd favourites, accounting for 30.6 per cent of all reservations. Last-minute romance was the order of the day, with 66 per cent of diners booking within two hours of heading out. Together, India saved over Rs 6 crore, proving that love can be grand, yet thrifty.
Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi led the premium dining rush, showing a growing appetite for curated, high-end experiences. Meanwhile, spontaneous bookings reinforced modern lifestyles, where convenience and instant gratification rule the day.
Whether it was big spends, huge groups, or a last-minute romantic dash, Valentine’s Day 2026 proved love and dining go hand in hand – and sometimes, they go all out.
