Our country’s Prime Minister had a long-standing vision of taking India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) global. And that vision has finally begun to come to fruition. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) revealed that Indian tourists visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris can now conveniently book their visits using India’s very own UPI service.
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has joined hands with Lyra, a leading French expert in e-commerce and proximity payments, to introduce the Unified Payments Interface in France. This partnership marks a milestone, with the iconic Eiffel Tower becoming the first merchant in the country to accept UPI payments, simplifying the transaction process for Indian tourists.
Great to see this- it marks a significant step towards taking UPI global. This is a wonderful example of encouraging digital payments and fostering stronger ties. https://t.co/jf1sTf41c5
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 2, 2024
This exciting development was announced during an event organized by the Indian Embassy in France to commemorate India’s Republic Day. PM Narendra Modi commended UPI’s formal introduction of the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris. He hailed it as a significant stride toward the global adoption of UPI and the promotion of digital payments.
The occasion was graced by prominent figures such as Alain Lacour, President of the Lyra Group; Christophe Mariette, Commercial Director of Lyra France; and Patrick Branco Ruivo, CEO of Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel. PM Modi highlighted the potential for Indian tourists in France to now conduct transactions in rupees through UPI.
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Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron visited India to attend the Republic Day Parade as a Chief Guest. During his visit, PM Modi explained the UPI digital payments system to Macron as the two leaders visited a local shop during their visit to Hawa Mahal in Jaipur. Macron and Modi then visited a tea stall and interacted with each other over a cup of tea in Jaipur. The French President used UPI to make a payment there.
What Is UPI?
The UPI is India’s mobile-based payment system and allows people to make round-the-clock payments through a virtual payment address created by the customer. UPI is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing and merchant payments into one hood.
The India-France Relation
In 2023, India and France committed to nurturing a thriving ecosystem and building collaborations that empower their citizens and ensure their full participation in the digital century, according to the India-France joint statement.
While addressing the Indian community at La Seine Musicale in Paris on July 14, PM Modi said, “Be it India’s UPI or other digital platforms, they have brought a huge social transformation in the country and I am happy that India and France are also working together in direction. India and France have agreed to use UPI in France. I will leave after the agreement.”
“However, it is your job to move forward. Friends, in the coming days its beginning will be made from Eiffel Tower which means that Indian tourists will now be able to make payments in Rupees, through UPI, at Eiffel Tower,” he added.
This definitely proves to be a significant move for India and it’s homegrown UPI technology that amazes the whole world.
