Sri Lanka and Mauritius recently launched India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI), expanding India’s digital infrastructure globally. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, will witness the event virtually. The launch includes RuPay card services in Mauritius, enhancing digital connectivity and enabling faster transactions between nations.
Bhutan established the first international UPI transactions using the BHIM app in July 2021, and France followed suit by starting to accept UPI payments at the Eiffel Tower. The UAE and Oman have partnered with NPCI International Payments Limited for secure transactions using BHIM UPI. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India and the Monetary Authority of Singapore have linked UPI and PayNow for swift cross-border transactions.
Nepal is poised to join the UPI network soon, with plans for digital payment gateways between India and Nepal by February 2024. NPCI has extended UPI access to non-resident Indians in select countries, including Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, the USA, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the United Kingdom, using international mobile phone numbers. India aims to share its fintech innovations and digital infrastructure with partner countries, reinforcing its leadership in the field.
