Paytm is an Indian digital-payments provider. Its parent company, One97 Communications, was valued at USD 4.2 billion in 2015, according to reports. However, recent estimates suggest the latest figure could be between 7 billion to 9 billion if the SoftBank India investment is factored.
Paytm offers consumers a mobile wallet solution in a nation of more than 1 billion people where credit card penetration is low and cash has become complicated recently.
Softbank, has invested in Indias startups for some time. Its now heavily involved in Indias e-commerce space and hoping to pressure a merger between Snapdeal and Flipkart, the two largest homegrown e-commerce groups in the nation, according to the Financial Times.
The potential merger would come as Amazon looks to spend USD 5 billion in an attempt to become Indias dominant retailer.
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