SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
The NPCI has extended the ‘UPI One World’ wallet service to international delegates from over 40 countries attending the India AI Impact Summit 2026. This pilot initiative allows foreign travelers to perform real-time Person-to-Merchant (P2M) transactions without requiring an Indian mobile number or a domestic bank account. Delegates can avail of the service through authorized PPI issuers at New Delhi International Airport or the NPCI Pavilion at Bharat Mandapam, loading the wallet via various payment methods to scan any standard UPI QR code. The solution is designed to eliminate the complexities of foreign exchange and cash management for visitors, with any unused balance transferable back to the original source in compliance with foreign exchange regulations. Unlike standard UPI apps that require an Indian bank account, the One World wallet can be loaded using international credit or debit cards, effectively “digitalizing” a traveler’s foreign currency for use at millions of local Indian merchants—from large retailers to small street vendors.
Key Pillars of the UPI One World Pilot
Seamless Inbound Integration: Enabling international visitors to access India’s digital payment ecosystem immediately upon arrival at New Delhi International Airport.
Barrier-Free P2M Payments: Removing the structural requirement for local KYC-linked mobile numbers to facilitate instant merchant transactions.
Real-Time Digital Exchange: Replacing physical cash and traditional forex management with a “Made in India” digital wallet loaded via international payment instruments.
Regulatory Compliance: Integrating automated balance-reversal features that align with existing foreign exchange and settlement regulations.
Showcasing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Using the India AI Impact Summit as a global stage to demonstrate the interoperability and scale of Indian retail payment systems.
Policy Relevance
The extension of UPI One World represents a transition from “Domestic Dominance” to “Global Interoperability,” positioning India’s payment stack as a standard-setter for international tourism and trade.
Standardizing Global Inbound Payments: By offering the wallet to delegates from 40+ nations, NPCI is acting as a “Standard Maker,” establishing UPI as the preferred digital interface for the Global South’s cross-border retail payments.
Federal Implementation Synergy: The deployment at Bharat Mandapam during a central summit highlights the State-Center coordination needed to ensure that local “One Nation-One Portal” grievance systems are ready to handle international visitor queries.
Bypassing Hardware Bottlenecks: The wallet-based approach demonstrates how “Lightweight Software Models” can bypass the need for physical PoS hardware, similar to the low-cost environmental sensors recommended by the ADB.
Operationalizing Citizen-Visitor Trust: Integrating real-time feedback and reversal features within the wallet aligns with the Grievance Redressal Assessment Index (GRAI) goals of ensuring transparency and satisfaction in high-frequency digital interactions.
Implementation Fidelity for G20 Commitments: This pilot serves as a live “Techno-Legal Stress Test” for India’s digital public infrastructure, proving its resilience and security during high-profile international gatherings.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can the ‘Department of Commerce’ utilize ‘UPI One World’ transaction logs to identify ‘Tourism-Export Clusters’ and realign State-specific export incentives for local artisans?
Follow the full news here: NPCI: UPI One World for International Delegates