The real-time payment system aims to enhance digital payments for Indian tourists in Sri Lanka.

India’s instant payment technology Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services were simultaneously launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius on Monday, in the virtual presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the initiative, led by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) International Payments Limited & LankaPay Pvt Ltd, aims to rapidly expand, with 10,000 merchants set to accept UPI payments shortly after the launch.

By March 2024, this number will reach 65,000, providing a seamless payment solution for Indian tourists, the PMD reported