NIPL, the international arm of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NTT DATA Japan. This agreement shows that India's UPI technology is gaining ground globally, making international transactions easier and more convenient for everyone.
Under this agreement, NTT DATA-affiliated merchants will now accept UPI payments from Indian tourists. This means that Indian tourists will be able to make payments directly from their mobile phones by scanning the QR code. The aim is to make it easier for people to shop without relying on cash or forex cards.
Millions of tourists visit Japan every year.
Masanori Kurihara, Head of Payments, NTT DATA Japan, said that the launch of UPI payments in Japan will make shopping easier for Indian tourists and create new business for Japanese shoppers. The move comes at a time when the number of Indian tourists in Japan is steadily increasing. Between January and August 2025, more than 2,80,000 Indian tourists visited Japan. This partnership will further strengthen Japan's tourism sector and provide Indian tourists with a secure and familiar digital payment method.
UPI is supported in these countries.
This is the first time UPI services have been launched in East Asia. Currently, Indian travelers can make UPI payments in countries like France, UAE, Nepal, Mauritius, Peru, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Qatar and Bhutan. NTT DATA Japan operates CAFIS, Japan's largest card payment network, connecting banks, shops and ATMs nationwide. UPI transactions will now be integrated into this network, making the payment process even easier for Indians.
491 million people in India use UPI.
By July 2025, around 491 million people in India will use UPI, and 6.5 million merchants will be connected. This makes India a global leader in digital payments. UPI (Unified Payments Interface) accounts for approximately 85% of all digital transactions in India, and nearly half of the world's total real-time digital payments come from India alone. The popularity of UPI is mainly due to its simplicity, accessibility and security. The system allows people to send money between themselves or make payments to merchants, whether for purchases, bill payments or online services.
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