Digital payments and financial services platform Paytm on Thursday said it now provides free access to e-newspapers of various national and regional media publications on its app.

This new launch is part of the company initiative to provide a direct channel of authentic news to fellow Indians on COVID-19 and other matters, Paytm said in a statement here.

The service currently is available on Android and will soon be introduced for IoS as well, the statement said.

Paytm has launched free e-newspapers of Dainik Bhaskar (Jabalpur Group), Amar Ujala, Dainik Jagran INext, Punjab Kesari, Mail Today, Mid Day, Jagbani, Navodaya Times, Financial Express, Indian Express, Loksatta among others on its app.

The company is also in conversation with other leading financial and daily newspapers for integration, which will be live soon.

'This is our earnest attempt to make news accessible to people while they stay at home. We want to ensure that even during lockdown the lives of fellow Indians are as normal as ever,' Paytm senior vice president Amit Veer said.

Veer further said 'now our fellow countrymen can read verified and authentic information from leading publications in the country in a single app with no hassle of paying or managing multiple logins.'