NPCI Plans to Expand UPI to More Countries by 2025

NPCI International Payments (NIPL), the organization responsible for taking India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) global, aims to expand UPI services to 4–6 more countries by 2025. This would increase its presence beyond the current seven nations, according to NPCI CEO Ritesh Shukla.

“We’re moving quickly, but our international partners have their own timelines. We expect to go live in 3–4 more countries next year, and possibly six if projects progress smoothly,” said Shukla.

Current UPI Reach and Expansion Plans

UPI payments are currently supported in seven countries: Bhutan, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and France. Twenty apps, including BHIM, PhonePe, Paytm, and Google Pay, enable international transactions.

NIPL is preparing to introduce UPI in destinations popular with Indian travelers, such as Qatar, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries.

Collaborations with Other Nations

In addition to expanding UPI, NIPL is helping countries like Peru, Namibia, and Trinidad and Tobago develop their own real-time payment systems similar to UPI.

The organization is also focused on increasing usage in existing markets by raising awareness among merchants and consumers. This includes educating Indian customers on using UPI abroad, partnering with fintechs to provide notifications when users land in foreign countries, and setting up UPI services at six international airport terminals.

Bilateral and Multilateral Efforts

NIPL is working on both bilateral and multilateral payment systems for international peer-to-peer (P2P) and peer-to-merchant (P2M) transactions.

• Bilateral Initiatives: NIPL has already linked UPI with Singapore’s PayNow and is in talks to connect with the UAE’s Aani payment system.
• Multilateral Projects: Through Project Nexus, in collaboration with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), NIPL is working with central banks in India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand to link instant payment systems across these countries.

Future Goals

NIPL is helping other nations build domestic payment systems and plans to connect these systems with India for cross-border transactions. This effort aims to simplify international payments and enhance UPI’s global reach.