PhonePe to Hire Over 20,000 People, Deploy 50 Lakh Payment Devices

PhonePe plans to hire more than 20,000 frontline sales professionals over the next year as it expands its merchant network across India, particularly in smaller towns and rural areas.

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The company also plans to deploy more than 50 lakh payment devices over the next 12 months.

Focus on Smaller Towns and Rural Markets

The planned hiring will support PhonePe’s efforts to reach merchants in Tier 6 towns and villages and expand digital payment acceptance.

Around 50% of the new payment devices are expected to be deployed in rural India, according to the company.

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The devices will include SmartSpeakers and point-of-sale (POS) devices. The frontline workforce will be involved in merchant onboarding, KYC completion, installation of payment devices and ongoing support.

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PhonePe said the expansion is being supported by the recently announced changes to the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework.

The company also pointed to a dedicated fund using 5% of MDR collections for small merchant expansion.

Key Numbers

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• 20,000+ frontline sales professionals to be hired over the next year
• 50 lakh+ payment devices planned over the next 12 months
• Around 50% of the devices expected to be deployed in rural India
• Focus on Tier 6 towns and villages and small merchants

What It Means for Employment

The hiring plan is largely focused on frontline sales and merchant-facing roles. Employees will help onboard merchants, complete KYC processes, install devices and provide continued support.

PhonePe said the new labour codes introduced last year are also helping companies hire faster through streamlined compliance. The company expects a larger on-roll workforce to support its expansion into smaller towns and villages.

The expansion also comes as India’s digital payments ecosystem moves towards greater merchant acceptance in smaller markets.

PhonePe’s plans indicate that the next phase of its merchant expansion will require a larger field workforce, particularly in locations where digital payment infrastructure is still developing.