Mumbai, June 23: Indian equity markets opened on a flat note on Tuesday after a multi-session rally driven by easing tensions in West Asia.

Sensex opened at 77,086.05, down 8 points or 0.01 per cent, while Nifty started the session at 24,071.30, lower by 31.60 points or 0.13 per cent.

Sector-wise, Nifty Pharma was top gainer, rising 0.41 per cent, followed by Nifty MidSmall Healthcare (up 0.40 per cent), Nifty 500 Healthcare and Nifty Media, both gaining 0.29 per cent.

While Nifty Cement and Nifty Oil & Gas also advanced 0.27 per cent and 0.18 per cent, respectively.

In contrast, Nifty Metal was the worst-performing sector, declining 0.8 per cent, followed by Nifty IT, which fell 0.77 per cent.

Among Nifty 50 constituents, Infosys, Hindalco Industries, TCS, HCLTech, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel and Wipro were the top losers in early trade.

The broader market remained resilient, with smallcap and midcap indices outperforming the benchmarks.

Nifty Smallcap 50 rose 0.34 per cent, while Nifty Smallcap 250 and Nifty Smallcap 500 gained 0.33 per cent and 0.28 per cent, respectively.

Meanwhile, India VIX — the market’s fear gauge — declined 0.7 per cent to 12.75.

According to market experts, easing tensions in West Asia and the sharp correction in Brent crude prices below $80 per barrel have improved the outlook for India’s GDP growth and corporate earnings in FY27.

They noted that stability in the rupee and a moderation in foreign portfolio investor (FPI) selling remain key positives for equities.

However, they cautioned that the progress of the monsoon will be closely watched, as a prolonged rainfall deficit could weigh on rural demand, inflation and sectors such as FMCG.

In the commodities market, international benchmark Brent crude fell 0.5 per cent to $77.51 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined 0.35 per cent to $73.60 per barrel.

Mumbai, June 22: Domestic equity markets traded higher on Monday, mirroring positive global cues amid easing crude oil prices and geopolitical concerns in West Asia.

Sensex surged over 400 points or 0.54 per cent to touch an intraday high of 77,223 in morning trade, while Nifty traded more than 100 points or 0.51 per cent higher at 24,137.

Among sectoral indices, IT stocks led the gains, with the Nifty IT index rising over 1 per cent. The Nifty MidSmall IT & Telecom and Nifty Oil & Gas indices also advanced about 0.8 per cent each.

Consumer durables, financial services, media and metal stocks traded in positive territory, while auto, pharma, realty and FMCG indices posted modest gains. In fact, all sectoral indices were trading higher in early deals. On the downside, IndiGo, Titan, Grasim Industries and Bharti Airtel were among the top losers on the Nifty.

According to market experts, the resilience in domestic equities is being supported by easing crude oil prices, rupee appreciation and moderating foreign fund outflows.

They noted that Brent crude remaining below $80 a barrel despite geopolitical uncertainties in West Asia suggests that markets do not expect a major escalation in the conflict.

Analysts said the strengthening rupee and the prospect of fresh capital inflows could lend further support to sentiment, while mid- and small-cap stocks continue to attract investor interest on expectations of stronger earnings growth. Banking stocks, particularly those in the Bank Nifty index, remain fundamentally strong, they added.

On the commodities front, international benchmark Brent crude declined over 2 per cent to $78.74 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 3 per cent to $74.98 per barrel.

New Delhi, June 20: Recent wallet inactivity notifications from PhonePe have led to increased consumer interest in digital wallets and how they function. One of the key observations from these discussions is that many users continue to assume that their PhonePe account, UPI account, and PhonePe Wallet are the same. In reality, these are different payment instruments that operate independently and serve different purposes.

As digital payments become increasingly common in everyday life, understanding how wallets work and how they differ from UPI can help consumers make informed decisions and better understand the products they use.

Understanding the difference between UPI and wallets

When you make a payment through UPI on PhonePe, the money is debited directly from your linked bank account. A PhonePe Wallet, on the other hand, is a prepaid payment instrument (PPI) where money is stored separately from your bank account.

This distinction is important because the inactivity fee applies only to the PhonePe Wallet and not to UPI-linked bank accounts.

Understanding how wallet inactivity charges work

One of the concerns raised by users is whether PhonePe can deduct the inactivity fee from their bank account if their wallet has no balance. The answer is no.

If a user’s PhonePe Wallet has a zero balance and has remained inactive for an extended period, the inactivity fee will not be recovered from the user’s linked bank account or through UPI. Similarly, the wallet balance will not become negative.

In other words:

• No deduction will be made from a linked bank account.
• No deduction will be made via UPI.
• A wallet with insufficient balance will not show a negative balance.

Why some active PhonePe users may still receive notifications

Some users have reported receiving inactivity notifications despite using PhonePe regularly for QR-code payments, bill payments, or money transfers. This happens because wallet activity and UPI activity are tracked separately.

A customer may actively use PhonePe every day through UPI while their PhonePe Wallet remains unused for months or years. In such cases, the wallet can still be classified as inactive even though the user continues to use the PhonePe app.

Advance Notification and User Choices

According to PhonePe, affected users are notified 15 days in advance before any inactivity fee is deducted from the wallet balance.

During this period, users have the opportunity to:

• Activate their wallet.
• Add money to the wallet if they wish to continue using it.
• Withdraw eligible balances.
• Review whether they want to continue maintaining the wallet.

Addressing common questions around KYC

Some users believe they must complete Full KYC before they can reactivate their wallet. However, reactivating a wallet does not necessarily require converting a Minimum KYC wallet into a Full KYC wallet.

Users can activate their wallet by completing OTP verification and making a transaction using the wallet. Upgrading to Full KYC is not a prerequisite for activation.

Understanding wallet balances and cashback credits

Another area of confusion involves cashback rewards. Many users assume that cashback balances are stored inside their PhonePe Wallet. In reality, cashback rewards are typically credited to a separate Gift Card Balance, which is distinct from the PhonePe Wallet.

As a result, receiving cashback does not automatically mean that a wallet is active, nor does it mean the cashback balance is subject to wallet inactivity deductions.

Wallet closure and customer support

Some users have reported difficulties while attempting to close their wallet through the app, including error messages or requests for additional verification.

In such situations, users are advised to contact PhonePe customer support for assistance with account closure or wallet-related issues.

Why inactivity charges exist

Wallets are regulated as prepaid payment instruments and require maintenance, compliance, and operational support even when they are not actively used.

As a result, some wallet providers levy inactivity or maintenance fees on dormant wallets. The practice is not unique to a single company and has been observed among multiple wallet providers in the prepaid payments ecosystem.

The key takeaway in this case is that the inactivity fee applies only to the PhonePe Wallet, which is a separate prepaid payment instrument. It does not apply to UPI transactions, does not affect linked bank accounts, and does not result in negative wallet balances.

For users who have received a notification, the most important step is to determine whether they have an active PhonePe Wallet and decide whether they want to continue using it, reactivate it, or close it.