The Kerala Textiles and Garments Dealers Welfare Association (KTGA) announced a march and demonstration in Kochi for 6 October 2026, opposing a proposed merchant fee on some UPI payments. The available event report, published the day before, said the protest was scheduled; it does not confirm that it took place or report its attendance or outcome.
What the association announced in Kochi
According to Society Today News, KTGA planned to begin the march at 10:30 a.m. from its District Committee Office on Gopal Prabhu Road, then hold a demonstration near the BSNL office at Park Avenue. The report named State Secretary K. Krishnan and Treasurer M.N. Babu as participants in the flag-off, and said MLA T.J. Vinod would inaugurate the demonstration.
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Those details describe the announced schedule, not a verified account of what happened on 6 October.
What the protest was about
KTGA’s stated objection was to a decision to impose a fee on eligible UPI transactions above ₹2,000, and its demand was to withdraw that decision. The fee is described as a merchant discount rate (MDR): a payment-acceptance fee charged to merchants, not a fee on every UPI transfer. The applicable framework covers selected person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions; person-to-person payments should not be conflated with those merchant transactions.
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The operative details—including which transactions qualify, rates, exemptions and effective dates—are set out in the Department of Financial Services’ FAQ dated 15 September 2026. See the official FAQ on selected UPI P2M transactions for the exact rules rather than treating “above ₹2,000” as a complete description of eligibility.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the government says consumers and merchants should know
The Ministry of Finance said in its 8 August 2026 statement that consumers would not face UPI transaction charges, and that any merchant MDR would apply only to a limited set of transactions above a threshold. Its later 15 September release says MDR is neither a tax nor a charge collected by the Government or NPCI. Read the 8 August Ministry statement alongside the 15 September Ministry release and the more detailed September FAQ.
Small-merchant treatment depends on category and conditions. The government FAQ, rather than a blanket claim that all small businesses are exempt or charged, is the reference for those criteria.
Why traders have raised concerns
Kerala traders have warned that MDR could add to business operating costs. In a 17 September 2026 report, the Times of India quoted S. Abdul Nazar, State General Secretary of the Kerala Gold and Silver Merchants Association, expressing concern that repeated fees on high-value jewellery transactions could accumulate. That is a trade representative’s concern about jewellery transactions, not a measured estimate of costs for Kochi textile shops. The reporting reviewed does not quantify the effect on textile merchants.
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The event report was published on 5 October and described the march and demonstration as scheduled for the following day. It does not establish whether the protest went ahead, how many people attended, or whether the association achieved any result. Accordingly, the accurate description is that textile merchants announced or planned a protest, not that they definitively staged one.
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