India's UPI Expands to Malaysia: A New Milestone in Cross-Border Digital Payments

🌏 UPI Goes Global — Now Available in Malaysia

In a major leap for India’s digital payment ecosystem, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), through its international arm NIPL (NPCI International Payments Limited), has officially launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Malaysia. The rollout comes through a strategic partnership with Razorpay Curlec, a leading Malaysian payment gateway.

With this development, Indian tourists visiting Malaysia can now make instant payments at local stores using their favorite UPI apps such as PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm — directly from their Indian bank accounts, without needing physical cards or cash exchange.

💡 What This Means for Indian Travelers

This move is set to simplify international transactions for Indian tourists. They can now avoid the hassle of currency exchange, foreign transaction fees, and extra charges linked to international credit or debit cards. Payments will be made in real-time, offering a secure and cost-effective experience.

For Malaysian merchants, the partnership opens new opportunities to serve Indian customers easily, accepting payments instantly and in local currency equivalents. This also strengthens bilateral trade and tourism ties between the two nations.

🌐 UPI’s Expanding Global Footprint

Malaysia joins a growing list of nations embracing India’s digital payment innovation. UPI services are now operational in nine countries, including France, UAE, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Qatar, and Malaysia.

This expansion marks a major stride in India’s mission to build a global digital payment network, fostering financial inclusion and cross-border economic collaboration.

🗣️ Industry Leaders on the Partnership

Shashank Kumar, Co-founder of Razorpay, highlighted how this collaboration represents the next phase of UPI’s journey:

“UPI transformed the way India transacts digitally. Bringing that same innovation and trust to Malaysia will enhance payment convenience for millions of users.”

Meanwhile, Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL, emphasized that the partnership reflects India’s growing role in shaping the future of global digital finance:

“Our goal is to extend India’s trusted payment network worldwide, making digital payments seamless and interoperable across borders.”

💰 Strengthening Trade, Tourism, and Technology

Beyond convenience, the India-Malaysia UPI integration is expected to boost tourism and cross-border commerce. Malaysian businesses can now cater more effectively to Indian visitors, while India continues to project its digital leadership across Southeast Asia.

Experts believe this partnership is part of a larger global strategy — expanding UPI’s footprint to new markets in Asia, Europe, and Africa. The aim is to create a unified financial ecosystem where instant, secure, and low-cost payments are accessible worldwide.

🚀 The Road Ahead

India’s UPI has already become a model for digital payments, processing billions of transactions monthly and enabling a cashless economy. Its growing global presence demonstrates how a homegrown innovation can redefine international financial systems.

The launch in Malaysia signals more such collaborations on the horizon — paving the way for borderless payments and making India’s fintech revolution a truly global movement.