UPI One World Initiative: Aiming to extend its reach globally

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched by NPCI in 2016, is a real-time payment system that has revolutionized digital transactions in India with its simplicity and speed. Since its launch in 2016, UPI has grown exponentially, with transaction values surging from just INR 0.48B in October ’16 to INR 23.5T in October ’24 and volumes rising from less than INR 0.001B to over INR 16.5B transactions in the same period.
As an evolution to the UPI product, the NPCI has developed the UPI One World wallet for international visitors in India. It enables seamless cashless transactions during their stay in India, eliminating the need for currency exchange. Through this initiative, the government aims to address several challenges in cross-border payments, including high costs, delays, and inefficiencies that come with traditional systems. It aims to resolve issues related to limited accessibility by allowing foreign tourists, expatriates, and businesses to transact easily with Indian merchants, UPI One World Wallet simplifies travel by eliminating the need for cash and payment directly into local currency without having to physically convert currency, offering secure, instant digital payments. It also provides a detailed transaction history to easily track expenses.
India is rapidly emerging as a global tourism hotspot. Post-COVID, a remarkable recovery is evident, with FTAs rebounding to 6.4M in 2022, further improving to 9.2M in 2023, and projected to reach 9.8M in 2024, signalling a strong resurgence in tourism.

Supporting this trend, there has been a 40.71% increase in international flight searches to India in 2024, signalling heightened interest among global travellers. Additionally, the growing use of UPI One World among tourists aligns with India’s tech-driven infrastructure, ensuring a hassle-free travel experience.

The wallet eliminates transaction and onboarding fees, making it a cost-effective choice for foreign travellers. It also offers secure and instant payments, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring fast transactions. Additionally, users can load their wallets with foreign currency or international cards, and they don't need a local Indian bank account to use the service. These features make the UPI One World wallet a convenient and accessible payment solution for international travellers in India.

The UPI One World Initiative aims to expand this success internationally, allowing foreign visitors to India to use UPI for seamless transactions, and promoting financial inclusion. However, there are significant technological challenges to overcome, including navigating complex international regulations, ensuring robust security and fraud prevention, scaling the infrastructure, managing real-time currency conversion, handling refunds and reversals, and providing a smooth user experience. This initiative requires collaboration among regulatory bodies, financial institutions, and tech companies to address these challenges, aiming to revolutionize global digital payments.

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27 Jan 2025

UPI One World Initiative: Aiming to extend its reach globally

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