The variety of Indian vacationers travelling to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) international locations is projected to extend to 9.8 million in 2024, with the UAE anticipating 5.29 million arrivals from India. Seeking to simplify the funds course of for these guests, NPCI Worldwide Funds Restricted (NIPL) has partnered with Community Worldwide (Community), a digital commerce enabler throughout the Center East and Africa (MEA) area.
With this new partnership, NIPL has enabled the acceptance of QR code-based unified funds interface (UPI) funds. This has been made potential through Community’s point-of-sale (POS) terminals within the UAE. This initiative ensures seamless and safe transactions for Indian vacationers and non-resident Indians (NRIs) throughout Community Worldwide’s service provider community within the UAE.
Community has over 200,000 POS terminals throughout 60,000+ retailers in sectors together with retail, hospitality, transport, and supermarkets amongst others. UPI acceptance shall be rolled out progressively. Moreover, it’s going to cowl a variety of institutions from retail shops and eating shops. The protection may even embrace vacationer and leisure points of interest together with Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates.
Nandan Mer, group CEO of Community Worldwide, stated: “We’re delighted to strengthen the funds ecosystem for Indians visiting or working within the UAE. By enabling clients to pay of their most popular technique, we’re one step nearer to realising our imaginative and prescient. We need to empower companies and retailers with the most recent cost applied sciences and strengthening the imaginative and prescient of a digital UAE.
“We’re assured that this partnership will drive a sturdy digital funds ecosystem within the nation. It will, in flip, enhance cashless transactions.”
Responding to development
The expansion of Indian vacationers is pushed by numerous elements together with enterprise and leisure. By enabling UPI acceptance via its POS terminals, Community will present a QR-based secure and safe technique for facilitating cross-border funds. It will permit Indian vacationers and NRIs with Indian financial institution accounts to make use of UPI for funds throughout Community’s POS terminals within the UAE.
Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NPCI Worldwide, stated: “Our partnership with Community Worldwide will deepen UPI’s presence within the UAE. By rising UPI cost acceptance throughout retailers within the UAE, we’re not solely offering Indian travellers with a seamless and acquainted cost expertise, but in addition selling the usage of modern digital cost options internationally. This collaboration exemplifies our dedication to driving technological development and making a extra linked world cost ecosystem.”
Jamal Al Nassai, group managing director for service provider providers – Center East and North Africa at Community Worldwide, commented: “The launch of this partnership is a milestone for our intensive service provider community. It stands to profit immensely from the brand new cost technique. Because the main acquirer within the area, Community will leverage its 30-years’ legacy of technological innovation to allow acceptance of UPI-based cost apps to its retailers to drive world interoperability.”
