DOHA: India has taken another big step in expanding its digital payments reach, launching its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at Lulu Group’s supermarket chain in Qatar.
The launch of UPI, held on Monday in Doha, aims to make payments smoother, cheaper, and faster for both Indians and Qataris.
At the launch event held at a Lulu store, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the move would help bring the two countries closer by making trade more seamless.
He called it more than just a tech upgrade – a way to deepen financial ties and improve ease of doing business between India and Qatar.
“This isn’t just a digital payment solution – it’s a way to revolutionise trade between our countries,” Goyal said. “The movement of capital will be real-time and low-cost, and it will strengthen trust and connectivity between the people of India and Qatar.”
Partnership is the key
This follows the earlier rollout of UPI at Hamad International Airport’s duty-free shops in August. The wider expansion into Lulu supermarkets is made possible through a partnership between NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), Qatar National Bank (QNB), and Japanese payments gateway NETSTARS.
The UPI system allows users to make payments instantly using their mobile phones. Goyal urged more banks and financial institutions in Qatar to join the platform, saying that the benefits go both ways – Indian travellers can pay in rupees directly through their apps, while Qatari merchants can avoid card fees and attract new customers.
With more than 8 lakh Indians living in Qatar, this move is also seen as a big advantage for the Indian diaspora. It could make everyday purchases and money transfers faster and more affordable, while also helping integrate Indian fintech solutions into international markets.
Qatar is 8th country to accept UPI
Qatar becomes the eighth country to accept UPI, joining a growing list of nations that now support the Indian digital payment system. The rollout also adds to the list of services available at Lulu Group stores, which are popular among Indian shoppers in the Gulf region.
UPI has become a major success story for India’s digital economy since it launched in 2016. Minister Goyal noted that UPI now handles 85 per cent of India’s digital payments, with about 640 million transactions happening every day. He added that nearly half of the world’s digital transactions are now powered by UPI.
“This is an Indian innovation going global,” he said, calling it a proud moment and thanking QNB for working with India’s NPCI and Lulu Group to make the launch possible.
For now, the introduction of UPI in Qatar marks another step in India’s effort to take its homegrown fintech solutions to the world — offering convenience to users and unlocking new business potential for merchants abroad.
