New Delhi: Amidst Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France, a landmark move has been taken for Indian backpackers as in future they will be able to pay Rupee payments using UPI in France.
PM Modi affirmed this while addressing the Indian public at the La Seine Musicale, a performing arts centre on an island in River Seine.
“In France, an agreement has been made for the use of India’s UPI…It will be started from the Eiffel Tower, and now Indian tourists would be able to make payments in Rupees, through UPI, in the Eiffel Tower,” PM Modi stated.
Previously in 2022, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) which provides the UPI services had signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with France’s secure online payments system, Lyra.
Prior to France, India had also inked an agreement with Singapore’s PayNow in 2023 to ease the users of both countries to make cross-border transactions.
Also, UAE, Bhutan and Nepal are already using the UPI system.
India-France bilateral relations
During his visit, PM Modi also met with French counterpart Elisabeth Borne and Senate President Gerald Larcher to discuss grave matters. The meeting focused on strengthening the multifaceted corporation and long-standing strategic partnership between India and France.
In 2016, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) organised a UPI pilot launch involving 21 member banks. The initiative turned out to be a huge success across the nation; the system is now accepted nationwide.
