In a move set to revolutionise cross-border digital payments, PayPal has joined hands with India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to launch a first-of-its-kind platform: PayPal World. This initiative bridges India’s powerful UPI system with leading global digital wallets, allowing seamless international transactions. With this integration, UPI users can now make payments across borders—right from their existing UPI apps such as PhonePe, Paytm, and Google Pay—with no need for foreign cards or multiple payment gateways.

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Global Wallets, One Platform

PayPal World connects UPI directly with digital payment giants like

• Venmo (United States)
• Weixin Pay (China)
• Mercado Pago (Latin America)

Together, these platforms serve nearly 2 billion users worldwide. “This is a massive step for UPI’s global reach,” said Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the global arm of UPI. “It’s all about making cross-border payments simple, secure, and accessible for everyone.”

Why This Is a Big Win for India

India continues to lead the world in digital payments innovation. A recent IMF report confirmed that India ranks #1 globally in fast and secure digital transactions, driven largely by UPI’s popularity. UPI currently powers 85 percent of all digital payments in India, connecting:

• 49.1 crore users
• 6.5 crore merchants
• 675 banks on a single platform.

UPI also accounts for nearly 50 percent of all real-time digital payments worldwide. With PayPal World, Indian users can now shop internationally, send money abroad, or make cross-border business transactions—without the wait for UPI’s global rollout.

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Already Live in 7 Countries—and Expanding

UPI has already made inroads into seven countries:

• UAE
• Singapore
• Bhutan
• Nepal
• Sri Lanka
• France
• Mauritius

Now, with PayPal World’s support, its reach is set to multiply rapidly.

What’s Next? More Wallets, More Users

PayPal says this is just the beginning. “We can’t wait to welcome more partners and users soon,” said PayPal CEO Alex Chriss, hinting that additional wallets and countries will join the ecosystem soon. Whether you're sending money from the U.S. to your family in India or paying for shopping in China—your UPI app is now your global wallet.