The Eiffel Tower becomes the first merchant in France to accept UPI payments, marking a historic collaboration between the Indian Embassy, NIPL, and French e-commerce expert Lyra to enhance the convenience of Indian tourists.
In a significant development, the Embassy of India in France, in collaboration with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Lyra, a leading French e-commerce expert, formally launched the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at the iconic Eiffel Tower during the Republic Day Reception. This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of taking UPI global.
NIPL's partnership with Lyra marks a milestone, with the Eiffel Tower becoming the first merchant in France to accept UPI payments. Indian tourists visiting the renowned landmark can now seamlessly purchase tickets online using UPI, streamlining the transaction process and enhancing convenience.
The announcement was made during a Republic Day event hosted by the Indian Embassy in Paris, attended by notable figures, including M Jawed Ashraf, the Ambassador of India to France and Monaco, and representatives from Lyra, including Alain Lacour, President of the Lyra Group, Christophe Mariette, Commercial Director of Lyra France, and Patrick Branco Ruivo, CEO of Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel.
This strategic move is particularly significant as Indian tourists constitute the second-largest group of international visitors to the Eiffel Tower. With UPI acceptance at the Eiffel Tower, Indian visitors can make secure online transactions by scanning the QR code generated on the merchant's website, offering a hassle-free payment experience.
Beyond benefiting tourists, the integration of UPI in France opens up new opportunities for merchants in the tourism and retail sectors across the country and Europe. While the Eiffel Tower is the first to adopt UPI payments in France, this service is expected to expand to other merchants in the tourism and retail industry shortly, as reported by India Today.
Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL, emphasised the global ambitions of NPCI's payment solutions, stating, “At NIPL, our goal is to make NPCI's payment solutions widely accepted in international markets and create a globally interoperable payment system. This partnership with Lyra is a significant step towards achieving this ambition."
Christophe Mariette, Commercial Director of Lyra France, expressed pride in the trust placed by the Indian government and NIPL to launch UPI in Europe. He noted, “This partnership not only signifies our strong collaboration with India but also demonstrates our commitment to offering a variety of payment methods globally. For players in the French and European tourism ecosystem, this partnership brings forth new business opportunities.”