Telangana Becomes the First State to Launch Its Own Digital Wallet “T Wallet”; 8,675 Users Register on The Launch Day
We had heard about companies launching their own e-wallets, but for the first time in India, a State Government has launched its own wallet for the state. The youngest state of India, Telangana, has just got its own e-wallet.
The wallet known as T Wallet will be the state’s own digital wallet for citizens to make payments and carry transactions without any additional fees. This initiative has also made Telangana the first state to introduce an e-wallet.
Since it has been developed by the Government, the users can make payments for Government services through the same, and also receive benefits like pensions and scholarships from the Government itself. It is a way to connect the Government and the citizens monetarily.
T Wallet was launched by Hon’ble Minister of IT Shri. K. T. Rama Rao today. Citizens can use T Wallet to make payments for both Government and Private transactions to avail services and is integrated with Government departments such as Mee Seva, GHMC, HMWSSB, TSNPDCL, TSSPDCL, RTA. Government payments such as Aasara Pensions, MNREGA payments will be pushed to eligible respective citizen’s T Wallet.
Technical details about T Wallet
The T Wallet has been developed in partnership with Microsoft Accelerator alumni startup Transaction Analysts. It uses two-factor authentication, through Aadhaar + Biometric or Aadhaar + OTP to Aadhaar linked mobile number, for feature phones and no phone users.
The wallet supports English, Telugu and Urdu languages. It has been hosted on Azure platform and specifically designed for high and secure performance. T Wallet services are available through an online web browser, smartphone, feature phones and even to those with no phones.
Citizens with feature phones or no phones can use Mee Seva centres in Telangana to open T Wallet, load money into wallet and make payments. T Wallet cannot be used for withdrawal of cash.
Money can be loaded into the wallet in the following ways –
- By NEFT from any Bank account who provides NEFT facility.
- By IMPS from any Bank Account. who provides IMPS facility.
- From Credit Card/Debit card/Net Banking.
- By depositing cash at any of the centers of Mee Seva or Agent appointed by T Wallet.
A simple account with limit of Rs. 20,000 will be opened by providing minimum details like mobile number and email. The same can be increased upto Rs. 1 lakh with KYC confirmation of the account.
Approximately 8,675 T Wallets were opened on the first day itself. A total of 9,952 users have already registered, along with 11,737 merchants as of the first day of launch. All these merchants have been signed up by Transactions Analysts.
If you are in Telangana and want to open your wallet, log on to their website by registering here and you will be required to link your Aadhaar number. Or alternately, you can download the apps from Google Play Store and Apple App Store on your smartphone and get started.
Too bad about its relationship with *Microsoft* though – I’ll never *use* it, myself. They should have gone with Free software – how comfortable do YOU feel about having Mister Nadella having YOUR money in his hands??!!
..and wow! I never read any of this in the PAPER newspaper! God Bless trak for existing – keep it up, Arun! :)