The global footprint of India’s UPI is expanding rapidly, with Japan emerging as the next frontier. Nikkei Asia reports that after partnering with NTT Data, NPCI plans UPI trials in Japan starting fiscal 2026, targeting the booming influx of Indian tourists.
Indian visitors will soon pay at Japanese stores using familiar UPI apps, with instant deductions from Indian banks. This interoperability project links Japan’s payment networks with India’s robust UPI infrastructure.
Tourism data highlights the urgency: 315,000 Indians traveled to Japan in 2025, up 35% year-on-year. McKinsey forecasts India’s international trips exploding to 90 million by 2040, fueled by affluent middle-class aspirations for global adventures.
Since its 2016 debut, UPI has become indispensable, boasting 185.8 billion transactions in FY2024—a 42% surge. Dubbed the planet’s top real-time system by the IMF in June 2025, it’s live in eight nations like Singapore, France, and the UAE.
Japan’s move mirrors UPI’s domestic dominance, where it captured 58% of merchant payments last year, eyeing 76% by 2030. Cash usage may plummet to 7%. NTT Data, powering payments for 6 million Indian outlets, is ideally positioned to onboard Japanese merchants.
As governments and fintechs worldwide eye UPI’s model—a shared platform spurring competition—this Japan trial could pave the way for broader Asian adoption, easing frictionless spending for millions of traveling Indians.