Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday, 16 June formally launched the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at the iconic Galeries Lafayette in Nice, France, enabling Indian travellers to make seamless digital payments at one of Europe's most visited retail destinations. The launch, facilitated through a collaboration between Lyra Collect and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), marks France as the latest country to join UPI's expanding global footprint.

What the Minister Said

'Bringing India's world-class digital payments platform to one of France's premier retail destinations marks another significant step in UPI's global expansion,' Goyal said in a post on X following the launch ceremony. 'With the participation of Lyra Collect and NIPL, this initiative showcases India's ability to deliver trusted, seamless, and interoperable digital solutions at scale,' he added.

Goyal further noted that the launch 'strengthens the economic and technological ties between India and France, reflecting the growing depth and ambition of our strategic partnership.'

Benefits for Travellers and Merchants

The digital payment corridor eliminates the friction of physical currency exchange, removes the need to carry large amounts of cash, and spares Indian visitors the burden of navigating unfamiliar foreign exchange fees. For French businesses, the integration unlocks immediate access to a large, tech-savvy Indian visitor demographic, according to a senior official.

Local merchants are also expected to benefit from optimised cash management, lower overhead costs linked to physical cash handling, and secure, real-time transaction settlements, the official said.

France Is UPI's Second Launch This Month

The Nice launch comes less than two weeks after UPI went live in Cambodia on 3 June 2025, making France the second country this month to activate the interface. The Cambodia rollout followed a formal ceremony in Phnom Penh, attended by Chea Serey, Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia, and senior representatives from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Phase 1 of the Cambodia corridor enables millions of Indian travellers to make QR-based payments at over 4.5 million Cambodian merchants through Bakong's KHQR, Cambodia's national QR code standard. A subsequent phase will make the corridor fully bi-directional, allowing Cambodian citizens visiting India to scan UPI QR codes using their domestic banking apps.

UPI's Accelerating Global Expansion

The twin launches in June 2025 reflect a deliberate push by India to internationalise its homegrown payments stack. UPI is already operational in markets including Singapore, the UAE, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, among others. The France activation is particularly significant given the volume of Indian tourists visiting Europe annually and France's status as the world's most visited country.

With NIPL — the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) — driving these partnerships, the pace of UPI's cross-border rollouts is expected to accelerate through the remainder of 2025.