Kunal Shah takes WhatsApp global helm to revive sub-1% WhatsApp Pay amid username fight

Following Meta's $900M CRED investment, Kunal Shah joins as WhatsApp global head tasked with lifting WhatsApp Pay's under-1% UPI share against PhonePe (46.2%) and Google Pay (32.7%). But a fresh government pushback on WhatsApp's new username feature adds an unexpected regulatory hurdle to his mandate.

— Filed Thu, 2 Jul, 2026, 13:33 IST · Source Mint · Updated

Kunal Shah joins as WhatsApp global head amid Meta's $900M CRED investment, tasked with reviving WhatsApp Pay's sub-1% UPI share against PhonePe and Google Pay, while facing government pushback on a new username feature.

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