Global Platform Simplifies Cross-border Payments for Indians
India’s digital payments network, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), is set to reach a global audience. In a new move, PayPal has announced a platform called PayPal World, which will allow users in India to make international payments using UPI.
The platform, built in partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), will link UPI with major global payment systems such as Venmo, Tencent’s Tenpay Global, and Brazil’s Mercado Pago.
This development comes shortly after India’s request to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to ease compliance norms on low-value cross-border transactions. These regulations currently limit UPI’s use abroad, unlike traditional networks such as Visa, Mastercard, or SWIFT.
A Big Step for Indians Making Payments Abroad
Once operational, Indians travelling abroad, freelancers receiving international payments, and businesses working with global partners can make transactions directly through UPI via PayPal. There will be no need for international cards or third-party forex apps, reducing costs and friction in the process.
The PayPal World platform is expected to launch later in 2025, and PayPal has said that more partners will be added over time.
India’s FATF Request Aimed to Clear the Path
India had earlier flagged concerns over disproportionate compliance requirements on UPI payments, which are not applied to networks like Visa or Mastercard. This issue was raised during a FATF conference in Mumbai, where Indian officials called for a level playing field to allow faster global adoption of UPI.
The new platform marks a response to that ask, enabling interoperability between global systems and India’s fast-growing UPI infrastructure.
UPI’s Growing Global Influence
UPI has become the backbone of India’s digital economy. In June 2025 alone, it processed over ₹24.03 lakh crore across 18.39 billion transactions — a 32% increase compared to the same month last year.
The system now serves 491 million individuals and 65 million merchants, connecting 675 banks on a single platform. UPI also powers 85% of India’s digital transactions and contributes to nearly half of all global real-time digital payments.
UPI Now Leads Real-time Global Payments
Recently, UPI surpassed Visa in daily transactions, handling over 640 million payments every day. That milestone puts UPI at the top of the world’s real-time payment systems — just nine years after its launch.
This rising global relevance is what drives India’s push to replicate UPI’s success in other regions, particularly in Africa and South America. Through PayPal World, that goal is one step closer.
