India’s indigenous digital payments network has launched in nine countries, enabling Indian users to carry out merchant payments abroad with the same UPI apps they rely on at home.
Countries where UPI payments are presently accepted:
- UAE
- Singapore
- Bhutan
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
- France
- Mauritius
- Qatar
- Cambodia (recent addition)
The growth of UPI’s international presence coincides with India’s major initiative to share its digital public infrastructure (DPI) model. The government has informed Parliament about signing cooperation agreements with 23 countries for the sharing and adoption of components of India Stack, which underpins technologies like Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker.
The nations that have established DPI cooperation agreements with India include Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Antigua and Barbuda, Papua New Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago, Tanzania, Kenya, Cuba, Colombia, Laos, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Gambia, Fiji, Guyana, Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Lesotho, Maldives, and Mongolia.
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The government has also forged DigiLocker-specific agreements with Cuba, Kenya, the UAE, and Laos.
Officials state that the growing international acceptance of UPI is facilitating easier cross-border payments for travellers, enhancing remittances, and reinforcing India’s reputation as a leader in global digital payment innovation.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
As additional countries pursue partnerships related to India’s digital public infrastructure, the list of destinations for Indian travellers to use UPI is anticipated to continue expanding.
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