The Japanese IT services company NTT Data is collaborating with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to facilitate UPI payments in Japan. Their partnership is investigating methods to integrate Indian and Japanese payment systems in this pilot project.
Introduced in 2016 as a government-supported initiative, UPI allows users with Indian bank accounts to make instant money transfers via mobile applications, often without any fees.
A standout feature of UPI is its interoperability, enabling any UPI-enabled application to scan a single QR code for payment processing. UPI has already made inroads into several international markets, primarily aimed at assisting Indian travelers with cross-border retail payments.
The planned rollout in Japan coincides with a significant increase in Indian tourist arrivals, surpassing 315,000 visits in 2025, making Indian travelers one of the fastest-growing outbound segments in Japan.
Rohit Mahajan, Founder and Managing Partner at plutos ONE, mentioned that enabling UPI in Japan aligns merchant ecosystems with evolving consumer behaviors. He emphasized that the system’s expansion across various countries demonstrates the scalability and global competitiveness of India’s payment infrastructure.
Ravi Gosain, President of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), remarked that this trial signifies India’s growing economic and cultural influence worldwide. He pointed out that the surge in Indian tourists has heightened the demand for efficient and cost-effective digital payment solutions, suggesting that enabling UPI usage abroad could promote cashless travel while strengthening India-Japan relations in tourism and the digital economy.
Currently, UPI ranks among the largest real-time payment systems globally by transaction volume and continues to be a pivotal element of India’s digital payments landscape. The pilot in Japan aims to assess its relevance in another significant international market.
First Published: Jan 28, 2026 1:49 PM IST
