Qatar has become the eighth country to join India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) network for instant digital payments, as NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) partners with Qatar National Bank to enable QR code-based UPI transactions at local point-of-sale terminals.
The move is set to benefit millions of Indian travellers and expatriates, allowing seamless payments at major tourist spots and outlets like Qatar Duty Free, while local merchants stand to gain from increased customer flows and cashless convenience.
Landmark Step for Indian Digital Payments Abroad
Qatar’s integration marks a milestone in India’s drive to globalise its acclaimed UPI payment technology. Indian tourists and residents can now pay effortlessly at Qatari retail stores and attractions using their familiar UPI apps, powered by NETSTARS’ secure payment infrastructure. For instance, Qatar Duty Free became the first merchant to activate this feature, signalling widespread rollout across the country.
UPI’s streamlined system, using a virtual payment address (VPA), allows payments without disclosing sensitive details such as bank account numbers or IFSC codes, sharply reducing cross-border transaction frictions. According to Ritesh Shukla, Managing Director and CEO of NPCI International, “We aim to enhance the acceptance of UPI globally and create a truly interoperable global payment network. The partnership with QNB is a step towards this journey. It will help millions of Indian travellers make seamless, secure digital transactions and reduce their dependence on cash. As UPI makes its mark, we are focused on driving interoperability and making cross-border payment experiences hassle-free for users.”
Similarly, Yousef Mahmoud Al-Neama, Group Chief Business Officer of QNB, remarked, “This milestone not only enhances convenience for Indian travellers but brings significant benefits to the Qatari market by promoting cashless transactions, boosting retail and tourist sectors, and strengthening interoperability in the payments ecosystem”.
A Growing International Network
Qatar joins a growing list of nations Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the UAE , where UPI is already in use. These expansions represent NPCI International’s push to deploy UPI and its RuPay card scheme globally, with a vision to build robust and interoperable digital ecosystems.
Indians now form the second largest group of international visitors to Qatar, underscoring the importance of convenient payment options tailored for this demographic. By eliminating the need to carry multiple currencies or worry about local cash transactions, the new UPI link in Qatar will likely spur more tourism and cross-border business. Local merchants will also benefit, as tourists and residents increasingly prefer fast, reliable cashless payments.
Context: How UPI Works and Why It Matters
Unified Payments Interface, developed by the National Payments Corporation of India, is a real-time payment system that provides convenience, speed and security to users through its unique approach of virtual addresses for transactions.
NPCI International Payments Limited, incorporated in April 2020, serves as the global arm tasked with exporting India’s successful UPI and RuPay platforms worldwide. The latest expansion reflects NPCI’s ongoing efforts to boost interoperability, reduce currency exchange hassles, and make India’s digital payment solutions a byword for everyday spending around the globe.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Welcoming Qatar’s move, The Logical Indian highlights this partnership as a shining example of how financial technology fosters global dialogue, harmony and practical convenience for ordinary people.
For Indian travellers and the Qatari economy alike, UPI’s trusted, quick and secure payment system lays foundations for deepening cross-cultural ties through commerce. Local merchants gain more opportunities, travellers shed the burdens of cash, and digital solidarity grows.
