The impact of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is now being seen at the international level. NIPL, the international arm of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has signed an agreement with NTT Data Japan, through which Indian tourists will soon be able to make payments in Japan through UPI app from their mobile. Under this agreement, Japanese shopkeepers will accept UPI payments by scanning QR codes, which will eliminate the dependence of Indian tourists on cash or forex cards and make their shopping more convenient.
Increasing Indian tourist traffic and importance of UPI in Japan
The number of Indian tourists in Japan between January and August 2025 has been more than 2 lakh 8 thousand. According to Masanori Kurihara, head of payments at NTT DATA, the introduction of UPI payments will enable Japanese vendors to easily transact with Indian tourists and the partnership will also strengthen Japan’s tourism sector.
UPI is already available in these countries
The UPI service is already available in France, UAE, Nepal, Mauritius, Peru, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Qatar and Bhutan. Apart from Japan, NPCI plans to expand UPI to 4-6 new countries in 2025, including Thailand, Qatar and Southeast Asian countries.
Widespread use of UPI in India
By July 2025, approximately 491 crore people are using UPI in India and more than 65 lakh merchants are connected to it. UPI accounts for about 85% of digital transactions in India, accounting for half of the world’s total real-time digital payments. The main reasons for the popularity of UPI are its simplicity, security and wide reach.
India’s digital power globally
This partnership and expansion reflects the global recognition of India’s digital payments technology. UPI is no longer limited to India only, but it provides convenient, reliable and instant digital payment options to Indian travelers on their trips abroad. With this, India’s digital economic influence is increasing globally and new dimensions of international transactions are opening up.