New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) NPCI International Payments Limited -- the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) -- on Tuesday said it is strengthening the acceptance of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) across Sri Lanka to enable a seamless payment experience for Indian tourists and support the island nation’s digital economy.
With more than 700 million QR touchpoints in India, the platform’s interoperable architecture enables integration with global systems, including Sri Lanka’s LankaPay-powered LankaQR infrastructure.
India remains Sri Lanka's largest source market for the tourism sector. Over 4.16 lakh Indian tourists visited the country in 2024, which rose to 5.31 lakh in 2025. The steady growth has increased demand for convenient and reliable payment solutions for Indian travellers visiting the island for leisure, shopping, weddings and spiritual tourism.
"Through collaboration between NIPL and LankaPay, Indian tourists can now make digital payments across Sri Lanka by scanning LankaQR codes using UPI-enabled apps, reducing dependence on cash," NPCI said.
The service is available at major establishments, including hospitality chains, retail outlets and supermarkets.
To scale acceptance, NIPL has been working with key stakeholders such as the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, acquiring banks and merchants, aligning with Sri Lanka’s domestic payments framework.
According to NPCI, the initiative is expected to benefit both travellers and merchants. While tourists gain access to real-time payments, transparent exchange rates and a familiar payment interface, Sri Lankan businesses can tap into a large digital customer base, improve cash management and reduce reliance on physical currency.
Ritesh Shukla, MD and CEO of NPCI International, said the company is focused on building interoperable payment corridors to simplify cross-border transactions and strengthen economic ties.
“As UPI adoption expands, we aim to enhance payment acceptance across key sectors such as hospitality, retail and tourism, creating value for businesses and improving the overall travel experience,” he said.
Recognised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the world’s largest real-time payment system, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of global instant payments, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is expected to improve cross-border trade and economic engagement between India and Sri Lanka.
--IANS
ag/na