India Launches UPI Payments at Eiffel Tower in Paris
India has officially introduced the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, marking a significant step towards realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of globalizing UPI. This initiative follows the digital payments sector agreement signed between India and France in July of the previous year, making France the first European country to adopt India’s UPI for retail transactions.
India’s National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has successfully launched UPI payments at the Eiffel Tower, making it the first merchant in France to offer this service. This move aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s push for a global presence of UPI.
The collaboration between India and France in the digital payments sector, initiated in July, allows the use of India’s UPI for retail payments in France. This groundbreaking agreement positions France as the pioneer in embracing UPI on the European continent.
NPCI International Payments (NIPL) has partnered with French e-commerce and proximity payments company, Lyra, to facilitate the acceptance of UPI payments in France. The strategic tie-up ensures a seamless integration of the UPI payment mechanism, starting with the Eiffel Tower.
With Indian tourists ranking as the second largest group of international visitors to the Eiffel Tower, the UPI payment system offers a convenient and familiar payment method. Tourists can simply scan a QR code on the merchant’s website to initiate payments, enhancing the overall experience for Indian travelers.
While Eiffel Tower becomes the pioneer, plans are underway to extend UPI payments to other merchants in the tourism and retail sectors across France and eventually throughout Europe. This expansion aligns with the broader vision of making UPI a globally accepted payment mechanism.
On 16th October 2026, the Union government has recreated the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB),…
The private defence sector in India is currently designing technology in a bid to address…
ISRO successfully carried out a series of CM-SM separation tests of its upcoming Gaganyaan human…
The World Health Summit 2026 was held in Berlin, Germany, with the new funding pledges,…
On October 16th 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has appointed Sudhakar Dalela as…
India’s Assam Regiment has bagged a gold medal in Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2026, an international…