Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his official visit to France, announced that India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) would soon be integrated into the European country’s payment systems. This move signifies a major step forward in expanding India’s digital payment infrastructure globally, with European nations like France being the latest to embrace the technology.
The implementation of UPI in France will have significant implications for Indian tourists visiting the country. Soon, they will have the convenience of making payments in Indian rupees using the UPI platform, enabling seamless transactions from popular destinations such as the iconic Eiffel Tower.
India has been actively promoting its digital payment solutions, including RuPay and UPI, to bolster cross-border transactions and facilitate cost-effective fund transfers and remittances. By embracing UPI, France opens up immense opportunities for Indian travellers to spend without the need for forex cards or carrying cash.
This move aligns with the broader trend of expanding the reach of UPI to international markets. Previously, UPI and Singapore’s PayNow were linked, allowing users from both countries to conduct cross-border transactions. Now, France joins the growing list of countries accepting UPI payments, further solidifying India’s position in the global digital payment landscape.
Additionally, several other nations have already adopted the UPI system, enhancing the payment experience for Indian tourists worldwide:
- Bhutan: In 2021, Bhutan became the first country to adopt UPI, offering Indian visitors the ease of UPI-based payments. It also holds the second-highest number of BHIM-UPI acceptance points after Singapore.
- Oman: Partnering with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Oman welcomed UPI payments in October 2022, benefiting a considerable number of Indian expatriates working in the country.
- UAE: In April 2022, BHIM-UPI was launched at NEOPay terminals across the UAE, simplifying payment transactions for Indian tourists in the region.
- Southeast Asia: A collaboration between NIPL and Liquid Group enabled QR-based UPI payments in ten Asian countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
- UK: The UK and India’s collaboration introduced QR code-based transactions in the UK. UPI-based QR code payments are available on all PayXpert’s android point-of-sale (POS) devices, followed by the integration of RuPay card payments.
- Nepal: In February 2022, Nepal became the first country outside India to adopt UPI through Gateway Payment Services and Manam Infotech, facilitating real-time person-to-person (P2P) and to-merchant (P2M) transactions.
“Know-How UPI is your New Mobile Banking“
With India’s UPI gaining traction worldwide, the nation’s digital payment systems are poised to revolutionize how Indian tourists transact globally, offering unparalleled convenience and accessibility.
