NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has enabled the acceptance of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at Galeries Lafayette’s flagship store in Haussmann, just in time for the upcoming Paris Olympics. This marks a significant expansion of UPI’s global footprint following its successful implementation for online ticket booking at the Eiffel Tower.
The collaboration, in partnership with Lyra, a leading French company specializing in secure e-commerce and proximity payments, aims to enhance the shopping experience for Indian tourists visiting Paris. The Paris Olympics, set to commence on July 26, is expected to draw a substantial number of visitors from India.
According to NPCI, this partnership will benefit the multitude of Indian tourists visiting Paris annually, allowing them to conveniently use UPI at the prestigious Galeries Lafayette flagship store.
Jawed Ashraf, the Ambassador of India to France and Monaco, highlighted the significance of this development, stating that it is expected to facilitate the widespread adoption of UPI in France and contribute to its global expansion as a digital payment method.
“Our collaboration with Galeries Lafayette in Paris not only enables UPI payments at a prestigious venue but also boosts UPI adoption as a convenient and secure cross-border payment method for Indian tourists,” said Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NPCI International.
Christophe Mariette, Chairman of Lyra India, expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration, stating, “Lyra is happy to have enabled for the first time in Europe the in-store acceptance of UPI in the iconic department stores Galeries Lafayette Haussmann in Paris.”
This development comes as UPI transactions continue to grow robustly. In June 2024, UPI transactions reached 13.89 billion, reflecting a 49 percent increase compared to the previous year. Data from NPCI revealed that the transaction volume for June amounted to Rs 20.07 lakh crore, slightly lower than May’s Rs 20.45 lakh crore. However, on a year-on-year basis, the transaction volume surged by 36 percent.
As UPI continues to expand globally, this partnership with Galeries Lafayette is a testament to its growing acceptance and the increasing convenience it offers to Indian tourists abroad.
