New Delhi, Nov. 4 -- India mandated zero merchant discount rates (MDR) on payments made through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in 2020. In September 2026, the government imposed an MDR on certain payments above Rs.2,000, then deferred implementation without a new date.

In 2025, it withdrew 14 quality control orders on industrial inputs over compliance and import costs. Fee prohibitions do not eliminate processing costs; mandatory standards can restrict competition. These reversals raise a question: were economic consequences examined before the rules were issued?

Elsewhere, authorities have capped trade margins on cancer medicines; the Reserve Bank of India has prohibited prepayment charges on specified loans; onion exports have f...