New Zealand's Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay on Friday, 10 July said India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is welcome in New Zealand, calling the country 'very open' to digital financial integration as the two nations deepen ties under a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA). McClay's remarks came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Auckland — the final leg of a three-nation tour.

What New Zealand's Minister Said

'UPI can very much come to New Zealand. Ultimately, digital infrastructure is important. We're modernising our economy. We're very open to the world, and the Free Trade Agreement with India makes it easier and creates greater certainty,' McClay said. He added that New Zealand is a very open economy and that fitting with local regulatory rules 'won't be such a challenge.'

McClay also noted that the UPI conversation is part of broader bilateral investment dialogue: 'These are many of the conversations you'll start seeing business to business as New Zealand looks to invest in India. And of course, India will be wanting to invest in New Zealand.'

Modi's Auckland Visit and the Diplomatic Context

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Auckland for a two-day visit, with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon receiving him personally at the airport — a gesture described as special by officials. The visit marks the final stop of Modi's three-nation tour, with the UPI expansion agenda featuring prominently in bilateral discussions.

UPI's Expanding Global Footprint

The New Zealand signal follows a series of UPI integration milestones. Earlier this week, PM Modi announced at a joint press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta that India's UPI will be integrated with Indonesia's payment system. 'We are delighted that India's UPI is set to be integrated with Indonesia's payment system. This will boost both the ease of doing business and the ease of travel,' Modi said.

Separately, UPI went live in Greece late last month, enabling eligible customers to transfer money instantly and securely, with transaction costs reportedly reduced to a fraction of conventional transfer costs.

UPI's Global Scale

UPI now accounts for nearly 49 per cent of the world's real-time payment transaction volume, making it the largest real-time payment system globally, according to available data. The platform is officially live and accepted in nearly nine countries for merchant payments and cross-border remittances. Built on an indigenously developed QR-based architecture, UPI's international expansion represents a significant shift in how India is projecting its digital infrastructure as a soft-power and trade facilitation tool.

What Comes Next

While no formal integration timeline for New Zealand has been announced, McClay's remarks signal strong political will on Wellington's side. As business-to-business investment conversations between India and New Zealand accelerate under the FTA framework, a formal UPI integration agreement could follow the Indonesia and Greece models. The trajectory suggests India's real-time payments ecosystem is on course to cover a wider swath of its key trade partners.