UPI Launches at Galeries Lafayette in France

India launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services at Galeries Lafayette Nice Massena in Nice, France, on 16 June 2026. The launch was led by India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and involved NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and French payment service provider Lyra Collect.

Unified Payments Interface

Unified Payments Interface is an instant real-time payment system developed in India by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It enables bank-to-bank transfers through mobile applications and supports merchant payments through QR codes and interoperable digital payment platforms.

UPI in International Markets

UPI is operational in nine countries, namely Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia. The service was earlier introduced at the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 2024, which marked an earlier deployment of UPI in France.

Galeries Lafayette and Payment Integration

Galeries Lafayette Nice Massena is a major retail destination in Nice and offers more than 600 brands. The integration of UPI at the department store allows Indian travellers to use a familiar digital payment system for retail transactions in France.

Important Facts for Exams

• NPCI International Payments Limited is the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India.
• Lyra Collect is a French payment service provider involved in digital payment processing.
• UPI is an instant payment system that works on real-time settlement.
• France became one of the countries where UPI acceptance expanded beyond India’s domestic payment network.

India-France Digital Cooperation

The UPI rollout in France is linked with digital payment cooperation between India and France. UPI acceptance in overseas retail locations is used for cross-border merchant payments and digital transaction interoperability.