WhatsApp, having initially begun testing its payment functionality in India with a user base of 1 million in early 2018, is now broadening the availability of this feature to a larger segment of users within the world’s second-largest internet market.

The service, owned by Facebook, announced on Friday that it is introducing payments support in ten different Indian regional languages within the newest stable release of the WhatsApp application for both Android and iOS devices. This news follows shortly after the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which manages the widely used UPI payments infrastructure, confirmed its approval for WhatsApp to launch UPI-based payments throughout the country.

Similar to companies like Google, Samsung, and several others, WhatsApp has developed its payment system utilizing UPI, a payment infrastructure established by a consortium of major Indian banks. The NPCI stated that WhatsApp, currently serving over 400 million users in India, will be able to extend payments access to its users in a phased approach. Initially, this rollout will be limited to 20 million users, and will require collaboration with several banking partners. (WhatsApp has indicated that it is partnering with five prominent Indian banks: ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, the State Bank of India, and Jio Payments Bank.)

Currently, Google and Walmart hold a dominant position in India’s mobile payments market, collectively controlling approximately 80% of the UPI market share. UPI has become the preferred method for digital payments in India, partly due to the Indian government’s unexpected decision in late 2016 to invalidate over 85% of the nation’s physical currency. The rise of UPI has reduced the importance of several companies in India, including Paytm, which received backing from SoftBank and Alibaba and invested considerable resources in developing mobile wallets. Unlike UPI applications, mobile wallets are not universally compatible and often impose small fees on consumers.

“India has created something genuinely remarkable with UPI, unlocking a wealth of opportunities for the micro and small businesses that form the foundation of the Indian economy. This is a pioneering initiative globally, and I am pleased that we could contribute to this effort and collaborate towards a more digitally empowered India. I extend my gratitude to all our partners who have made this possible. When individuals have access to financial tools, they are better equipped to support themselves and others, or to launch a business. In the long run, we require further innovation that provides individuals with greater control over their finances, and simplifying payments is a small step that can have a significant impact,” commented Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Facebook, in a video released on Friday.

WhatsApp’s initial attempt to launch payments in India in early 2018 encountered a two-and-a-half-year period of regulatory scrutiny, as various authorities raised concerns regarding user payment data and the potential for the Facebook-owned service to exert excessive influence and advantages over other payment applications. Further details on this matter can be found here (paywalled).

Now that these concerns have been addressed, industry experts anticipate that the payments service within WhatsApp—which is the most widely used smartphone application in the country—will experience a more rapid adoption rate compared to its competitors, as its entire potential user base is already actively using the app for communication. (Google, for example, launched a separate, standalone payments application in India.)

The NPCI’s announcement arrived shortly after it declared its intention to impose a limit on third-party applications, ensuring that no single app processes more than 30% of all UPI transactions each month. It is clear that WhatsApp has already faced considerable challenges due to regulatory issues in India, its largest market in terms of users. However, the NPCI’s plan to establish limits on other applications may ultimately benefit WhatsApp—although potential repercussions could arise in the future.

The Indian mobile payments market, estimated to reach $1 trillion by 2023 according to Credit Suisse, is at stake. Today’s announcement will also assist WhatsApp, which is increasingly focused on diversifying its business ventures, in further expanding its presence in the mobile payments sector.

The service was launched in Brazil in June of this year, but was promptly ordered to suspend operations by the nation’s central bank. Brazil’s central bank explained that this decision was made to “maintain a suitable competitive landscape” within the mobile payments industry and to guarantee “the operation of a payment system that is interoperable, rapid, secure, transparent, open, and affordable.” Fortunately, UPI in India is fast, open, interoperable, affordable, and largely transparent.

Facebook has significantly invested in commerce over the past year. If WhatsApp achieves success with payments, it could unlock additional opportunities for its parent company. Facebook recognizes this potential: earlier this year, the company invested $5.7 billion in Jio Platforms, an Indian telecom giant, representing the largest foreign direct investment in India’s technology sector. Facebook executives have stated their intention to collaborate with Jio Platforms to explore methods for digitizing India’s 60 million small and medium-sized businesses. Jio Platforms is led by Mukesh Ambani, the wealthiest individual in India, and is a close associate of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

WhatsApp has also incorporated a variety of commerce features into its platform in recent years.

The story was updated throughout with additional details.