UPI formally launched at Eiffel Tower in France

India officially launched the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at the iconic Eiffel Tower in France on Friday, a significant move toward realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of taking UPI global.

The launch occurred at the Republic Day reception in Paris, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, the chief guest at India’s 75th Republic Day celebrations.

The Indian embassy in France shared the news on social media, stating, “UPI formally launched at the iconic Eiffel Tower at the huge Republic Day Reception. Implementing PM @narendramodi’s announcement & the vision of taking UPI global.”

The collaboration between the National Payments Corporation of India’s arm International Payments Limited (NIPL) and France’s Lyra Collect aims to facilitate seamless financial transactions for Indian tourists in France.

The UPI payment system allows Indian tourists to make payments by scanning a QR code generated on the merchant’s website. The Eiffel Tower is the first in France to offer UPI payment options, with plans to expand the service to various other merchants in the tourism and retail sectors across France and Europe.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the agreement to implement the UPI payment system during his visit to France in July last year, emphasizing the convenience for Indian tourists to conduct transactions using the Indian currency, rupees.