Key Highlights
- India’s unified payments system, UPI, is now operational across Lulu supermarkets in Qatar, marking the Arab nation as the eighth global adopter.
- The move delivers instant, low‐cost transactions for more than 830,000 Indian expatriates, tourists and businesses.
- Local merchants and Qatari banks stand to gain from a broader, interoperable payment ecosystem.
Detailed Insights
In partnership with Qatar National Bank and the Japanese gateway NETSTARS, the National Payments Corporation of India’s international arm (NIPL) has rolled out a real‐time payment network that eliminates the need for foreign cards or currency when Indian shoppers pay at Lulu outlets. The initiative, announced by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on 6 October 2025, is expected to speed up remittances and enhance retail convenience. With UPI already handling more than 640 million daily transactions in India and commanding 85 % of the country’s digital payment share, the Qatari deployment demonstrates India’s intent to export its fintech DNA worldwide.
Key Concepts
- Unified Payments Interface (UPI): A real‐time, inter‐bank payment protocol built on India’s National Payments Corporation that allows instant transfers between bank accounts via a single app.
- NIPL (NPCI International Payments Ltd): The global extension of India’s payments ecosystem that facilitates cross‐border usage of UPI.
- NETSTARS: A Japanese payment gateway that provides authentication and settlement services for UPI transactions in Qatar.