'No country has...': Macron praises India's UPI
What's the story
French President Emmanuel Macron has praised India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), noting that the country has achieved something no other nation has. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, Macron emphasized how technology has changed the daily lives of common Indians. He gave an example of a Mumbai street vendor who couldn't open a bank account 10 years ago but can now accept payments instantly and without charge through his phone.
Personal anecdote
Macron's 1st encounter with UPI
"India built something no other country has built: a digital identity for 1.4 billion people," the French president said. Macron's speech at the summit wasn't his first praise for India's digital payment system. During his 2024 state visit to India, he was left impressed by UPI when Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a local shopkeeper in Jaipur using his phone. The French president was visibly surprised as the transaction went through instantly and the merchant received immediate confirmation.
International reach
France adopts UPI
In July 2023, PM Modi announced that Indian travelers would soon be able to use UPI in France. That plan came to fruition in February 2024, making France the first European nation to adopt India's digital payments system. The move was made possible through a partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited and Lyra, allowing UPI acceptance at merchant locations across France.