Nokia aims for pan India coverage for e-wallet this year

MUMBAI: Handset maker Nokia is looking for a pan India coverage for its Nokia Money, the mobile payment services enabling consumers to pay directly from their Nokia mobile phones in India, a top official said.

"We are now planning for a pan India coverage for our Nokia Money this year," Nokia Mobile Financial Services Director, Gerhard Romen told PTI.

The e-wallet services of the firm is currently available in Mumbai, Delhi National Capital Region ( NCR), Nasik, Pune, Chennai and Chandigarh and the company will soon commence its operations in Surat, Baroda, Rajkot, Lucknow, Kanpur, Kochi and Kozhikode, he said.

An e-wallet is like a physical wallet that enables users to make electronic transactions quickly and securely, without cash.

"Earlier people were shocked to think that your phone could have a camera, but now everyone uses a camera phone. Similarly in a couple of years it will be a wallet in your phone," he sid enthusing optimism.

Nokia at present has a tie-up for the e-wallet facility with Yes Bank and Union Bank of India, and the company is considering for a tie-up with other banks.

"We are still discussing with other banks for the facility, but I can not give you any names at this time," he said.