Official UPSC Format

Consider the following countries:
I. United Arab Emirates
II. France
III. Germany
IV. Singapore
V. Bangladesh
How many countries amongst the above are there other than India where international merchant payments are accepted under UPI?

1. I. United Arab Emirates

2. II. France

3. III. Germany

4. IV. Singapore

5. V. Bangladesh

⚡ Quick Recall Snippet

India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is expanding globally through NPCI International. Among the listed nations, merchant payments via UPI are officially operational in France, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.

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Detailed Solution & Authority Citations

Correct Answer is Option B
According to updates from NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the global footprint of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is expanding, specifically targeting high-traffic tourist and remittance corridors.
  • I. United Arab Emirates (Correct): UPI is operational in the UAE, allowing Indian tourists to make merchant payments via partnerships with local payment gateways like Mashreq.

  • II. France (Correct): France became a flagship European adopter, allowing UPI merchant payments at major tourist attractions (notably the Eiffel Tower) via the Lyra network.

  • IV. Singapore (Correct): Singapore has deeply integrated with India (the UPI-PayNow linkage), supporting both real-time remittances and cross-border merchant payments.

  • III. Germany & V. Bangladesh (Incorrect): As of the current official rollout, comprehensive merchant payment acceptance via UPI is not yet operational in these two countries.
    • Therefore, exactly three of the listed countries currently support UPI merchant payments.

    🚨 The Examiner's Trap

    Candidates might assume neighboring Bangladesh would adopt it first due to proximity, or that an economic powerhouse like Germany would have integrated it. The rollout, however, has specifically targeted nations with high Indian tourist footfall (France/UAE) or deep remittance corridors (Singapore).

    Active Recall Flashcard

    Tap to Flip

    Name three major countries outside India where UPI is currently accepted for merchant payments.

    France, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    Concept Flow Mapping

    UPI
    Accepted In
    France
    UPI
    Accepted In
    Singapore
    UPI
    Accepted In
    United Arab Emirates

    Logic Quest

    "Why is the global expansion of UPI significant for the Indian economy?"

    Not analyzing core concepts like Internationalization of Indian Digital Public Infrastructure through the lens of Previous Year Questions is a serious miss-out. This PYQ engine is specifically designed to help you decode the examiner's mindset and master highly probable Economy questions for your upcoming Prelims.