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Tourists visiting Paris' iconic Eiffel Tower can now book their trips using India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI), as confirmed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Friday. 

 

NPCI International Payments (NIPL) has partnered with French e-commerce and proximity payments provider Lyra to facilitate the acceptance of UPI payments in European countries, starting with the Eiffel Tower.

 

According to an official statement, Indian tourists can purchase tickets online for the Eiffel Tower using the UPI mechanism, streamlining the transaction process. 

 

The announcement was made in Paris during an event organised by the Indian Embassy in France to celebrate India's Republic Day.

 

Currently, Indian tourists rank as the second-largest group of international visitors to the Eiffel Tower. 

 

To make payments, Indian tourists can scan a QR code generated on the merchant's website, initiating a quick and hassle-free transaction.

 

Eiffel Tower became the first merchant in France to offer UPI payments, with plans to extend the service to other merchants in the tourism and retail sectors across France and Europe.

 

Ritesh Shukla, the Chief Executive of NIPL, expressed the entity's ambition to promote the acceptance of NPCI's payment solutions globally, aiming to create an interoperable global payment system. 

 

He added that NIPL seeks active collaboration with financial institutions worldwide to establish partnerships and provide consumers with convenient and secure cross-border payment solutions.

 

Christophe Mariette, Lyra France's Commercial Director, highlighted the company's 17-year presence in India and described the partnership as a significant advancement and the promise of new business opportunities for players in the French and European tourism ecosystem.

 

The initiative aligns with India's growing contribution to international tourism, offering Indian travellers a seamless payment experience and fostering collaborations between Indian and international payment systems.

 

With the Eiffel Tower serving as the starting point, the collaboration between NIPL and Lyra anticipates expanding UPI payment acceptance to various merchants in France and Europe, contributing to the global proliferation of India's digital payment solutions.

 

This development exemplifies the collaborative efforts between Indian and French entities to enhance the travel experience for Indian tourists, leveraging the convenience and efficiency of digital payment systems.