Outlook Business Desk
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at Lulu Hypermarket in Doha, Qatar, on October 6, 2025. This initiative will enable Indian visitors to make seamless digital payments, enhancing cross-border financial connectivity between India and Qatar. UPI is already accessible in multiple countries.
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), partnered with the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) of Bhutan to enable BHIM UPI QR-based payments in Bhutan on July 13, 2021.
India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is also available in France. According to NIPL, in partnership with Lyra, UPI payments are accepted at Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower, marking a step in expanding India’s digital payment footprint internationally.
NIPL has also expanded UPI QR-based payments across 10 countries in Southeast and East Asia. These include Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, extending India’s digital payment network globally.
India and Oman signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 4, 2022, to expand digital payments. Under this agreement, Indian RuPay cards can be used at OmanNet ATMs, POS terminals, and e-commerce sites, while Oman cards are accepted in India, enabling real-time cross-border remittances via UPI rails.
Indian visitors in Mauritius can also use UPI to pay local merchants, while Mauritian tourists can use the Instant Payment System (IPS) app to make payments in India.
India’s digital payments connectivity with Sri Lanka allows Indian travellers to make QR code-based payments at merchant locations using their UPI apps, ensuring seamless and convenient financial transactions across the border.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Nepal Rastra Bank in 2024 signed 'Terms of Reference' to integrate India’s UPI and Nepal’s National Payments Interface (NPI). Nepali users can now make instant, low-cost bank transfers to India using a UPI ID via mobile banking.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in February 2024 launched UPI services in Abu Dhabi. This initiative enabled seamless digital payments for Indian visitors, enhancing cross-border financial connectivity between India and the UAE.