India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is planning to extend its global reach, and Japan will soon introduce a trial run of the digital payments system.

This development paves the way for India’s UPI to make its debut in Japan, representing a significant milestone in the international expansion of this country’s prominent digital payment platform.

As part of the collaboration, Japanese IT services company NTT Data will join hands with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to facilitate UPI transactions on an experimental basis starting fiscal 2026. Initially, the service will be accessible for use by Indian tourists visiting Japan.

Boosting International Presence and Enhancing Cross-Border Payments

According to (omitted hyperlink reference), both NTT Data and NPCI are also investigating potential ways to link Japanese and Indian payment networks, promoting integrated, secure, and efficient cross-border digital transactions. Through this proposed arrangement, payments conducted by Indian users in Japan using UPI will be debited directly from their bank accounts back home in India. This measure is designed to allow travelers the convenience of familiar systems overseas without necessitating the use of separate wallets or cards.

With Japan’s planned adoption, UPI intends to continue its global expansion strategy, now present in eight countries such as Bhutan (the first adopter), Singapore, Nepal, the UAE, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Mauritius, and France.

The push for international deployment aims to cater to an increasing number of Indian travelers and solidify UPI’s standing as a global digital payment solution. The organization is anticipated to focus on fulfilling the evolving needs, preferences, and demands of users while maintaining compliance with local regulatory frameworks.