Indian tourists can now make UPI payments in Sri Lanka

Colombo: Indian tourists in Sri Lanka will be able to make digital payments through UPI with the launch of the facility in the island nation on Monday. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services were rolled out in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing it as linking historic ties with modern digital technology. India’s RuPay card services were also launched in Mauritius at a virtual ceremony attended by Prime Minister Modi, his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

India’s NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Central Bank of Sri Lanka-owned LankaPay joined hands to provide a seamless payment solution to tourists with the launch of UPI services. “This interface facilitates inter-bank and person-to-person transactions as well as person-to-merchant transactions, using mobile phones,” Wasantha Alwis, Director (Payments and Settlements) of the Central Bank, told reporters. “It provides the facility to transfer funds between bank accounts in India and also has a feature to use a QR code and make a payment to a merchant,” Alwis added. He said Indian tourists are the biggest inbound market to Sri Lanka with nearly 300,000 arrivals in 2023.