UPI in France, 5 year post-study visa for Indians:PM said in Paris

In a groundbreaking move, Indian tourists visiting the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, will now have the convenience of paying for their entry tickets, souvenirs, and other purchases in Indian rupees. This new development comes as a result of an announcement made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to France, wherein he revealed the extension of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system to the European nation.France become Europe’s first country to subscribe to India’s digital payment technology Unified Payments Interface or UPI.Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India and France have agreed to use Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment mechanism and it will begin from the iconic Eiffel Tower, according to media reports.PM Modi said an agreement was in place with the French government and that the first UPI transaction would occur at the Eiffel Tower where tourists would be able to pay in Indian rupees. The development comes after the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the governing body of UPI, signed an MoU with France's fast and secure online payment system, called Lyra, last year, according to sources. With UPI making its way to the Eiffel Tower, Indian tourists can now explore the breathtaking landmark with greater ease and convenience, leaving them with more time to appreciate the beauty and history that France has to offer.

 UPI's introduction in India

It was in 2016 that NPCI introduced the UPI system to the country. PhonePe was one of the first platforms to integrate UPI into its system. A year later, several competitors followed suit and since then, UPI has transformed into a behemoth that even foreign nations are looking to get their hands on, according to sources.The UAE, Singapore, Nepal and Bhutan have already adopted UPI, with a few more countries waiting to join the bandwagon. For a country like India where technology penetration was extremely low before PM Modi's NDA government took charge, the success of UPI has been nothing short of a miracle.The payment infrastructure recorded a whopping 9.93 billion transactions in the month of June with the total value touching Rs 14.75 trillion, according to NPCI. Most European nations have struggled to move to a cashless economy but in India, even the poorest have seamlessly adopted the novel payment system.

During his France visit, prime minister Narendra Modi also announced that Indian Students Pursuing Master's Degree in France to be Granted Post-Study Visa of 5 Years.Earlier, Indian students were given two-year work visa. The new policy aims to facilitate greater academic and career prospects for Indian students and strengthen the ties between India and France.The decision to extend the post-study visa duration for Indian students is part of the joint efforts to enhance cooperation in the field of education. With this progressive move, India and France are expected to strengthen their ties in the field of education, create new avenues for collaboration, and further enhance the longstanding partnership between the two nations.