India Launches UPI at Supermarkets in Qatar

In a major leap for India’s global digital payments expansion, UPI (Unified Payments Interface) has been launched at Lulu Group’s supermarkets in Qatar. The launch was led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and comes just weeks after UPI was introduced at Hamad International Airport’s duty-free stores. With this, Qatar becomes the eighth country to adopt UPI, bolstering cross-border trade, travel, and financial integration.

UPI Expansion in Qatar

• The new launch enables real-time, low-cost digital transactions at all Lulu Group outlets across Qatar, allowing Indian residents, tourists, and businesses to make payments using India’s homegrown UPI system.
• The initiative is spearheaded by NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), in partnership with Qatar National Bank (QNB) and Japanese payment gateway NETSTARS.

Benefits of the Initiative

• Faster remittances: The move is expected to benefit over 830,000 Indian residents in Qatar, enabling instant, low-cost fund transfers to and from India.
• Ease of shopping: UPI at retail outlets eliminates the need for international cards or foreign currency for Indian tourists.
• Boost to local merchants: Qatari businesses benefit from wider payment options and increased customer reach.

Global Impact of UPI

• Launched nine years ago, UPI now accounts for 85% of all digital payments in India.
• It handles over 640 million transactions per day.
• India contributes to nearly 50% of the world’s digital transactions—a statistic that underlines the platform’s global potential.
• UPI’s international expansion reflects India’s ambition to globalize indigenous fintech innovation, turning UPI into a cross-border payment standard.

Static Facts

• Event: Launch of UPI at Lulu Supermarkets, Qatar
• Launch Date: October 6, 2025
• Launched By: Piyush Goyal, Commerce & Industry Minister
• Partners: NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), Qatar National Bank (QNB), NETSTARS
• Qatar’s Rank: 8th country to enable UPI
• Users in Qatar: ~830,000 Indians