Shopping in Qatar but concerned about the payment method in a foreign land? Now you can use UPI to pay for your spree in this mall.India has expanded its digital payment network overseas, with the launching of the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in Lulu Group’s Stores in Qatar.The move comes after its roll out at the duty-free outlets in Hamad International Airport.Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the service at a Lulu store on Monday, calling it a key step in boosting financial flows between the two nations. He said that the integration will make transactions between the two nations smoother and more cost-effective.The launch follows a partnership between NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), Qatar National Bank (QNB), and Japanese payment gateway NETSTARS.Earlier in September, NIPL and QNB introduced UPI at point-of-sale terminals across Qatar for merchants acquired by QNB.Goyal urged more financial institutions in Qatar to adopt the system.“The launch of UPI and UPI transactions is not just a digital payment solution, but has the potential to revolutionise trade between Qatar and India. It’s an opportunity to expand our trust between the two nations because as we seamlessly integrate the payment systems of Qatar and India, our people will be able to trade more, trade smarter at lower cost,” he said.He also noted that the system enables near real-time transfers at a “very-very low” cost, which will make the movement of money and capital much faster.“Expanded trade will further be strengthened with the adoption of UPI … I thank QNB for taking up UPI as part of their payment systems,” he added, describing the official launch as a milestone in the partnership.The new facility is also expected to benefit the 8.3 lakh (830,000) Indians living in Qatar by making their remittances quicker and cheaper. With this launch, Qatar has become the eighth country to accept UPI payments. The system will allow Indian travellers to pay in real time without using foreign currency or international cards, while also helping local Qatari businesses accept digital payments seamlessly.Goyal highlighted how UPI has transformed India’s payments landscape since its launch nine years ago.“85% of Indian digital payments go through UPI and nearly 50% of global digital payments are now made by UPI,” he said, adding that the platform processes around 640 million transactions daily.He further praised QNB for linking NIPL, the developer of the UPI platform, with Lulu Group, which is now offering UPI payments to all its customers in Qatar.
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