Paytm set to get 7% stake in IPO-bound PayPay

Digital payments platform Paytm is likely to get about 7% stake in Japan’s PayPay, two years after the Noida-based company was given a call option to convert its holding into shares.

This was revealed in a regulatory filing on Wednesday by SoftBank, which owns around 20% stake in One97 Communications, the parent entity of Paytm.

PayPay is a QR code-based payments business and is a joint venture between SoftBank and Yahoo Japan, with Paytm as a technology partner. PayPay has nearly 40 million users and has seen 2 billion annual transactions.


Overall, SoftBank Group, which includes subsidiary Yahoo Japan, has more than 90% stake in PayPay.

Spokespersons for Paytm and SoftBank did not offer additional comment.

On Wednesday, SoftBank Group reported fourth quarter profit of nearly $37 billion, largely on the back of its Vision Fund recording gains on its investment in e-commerce firm Coupang, which had a US listing in March.

Masayoshi Son, the CEO of SoftBank, said he was increasing his commitment in Vision Fund 2.0 to $30 billion from $10 billion.

In India, SoftBank has been busy backing a new set of startups like social commerce platform Meesho, besides doubling down on existing companies.

It is investing at least $1 billion in Indian companies in the first quarter of the current financial year.

SoftBank’s India portfolio firms like Delhivery and Policybazaar are also aiming to go public this year amid a rush for listings by a bunch of other local startups.