India has further widened the international reach of its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) by formally extending the system to Israel.
The move was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day state visit to Israel, where he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss cooperation across strategic, technology and defence areas.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
In a joint statement, India and Israel said: “Both sides agreed to explore linking UPI with Israel’s fast payment system to enhance interoperability and strengthen economic ties.”
UPI is India’s real-time payments platform that enables instant money transfers between bank accounts through mobile devices. It connects hundreds of Indian banks via a single interface and currently processes more than 18 billion transactions each month in India.
Commenting on the move, Prime Minister Modi said: “I am pleased that an agreement has been concluded to enable the use of UPI in Israel.”
The countries also signed a memorandum of understanding between NPCI International and Israel’s MASAV. The agreement focuses on cooperation to examine potential linkages between NPCI and MASAV for cross-border payments between India and Israel.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe rollout of UPI is expected to support digital payments for individuals and businesses operating between the two markets. It is also intended to help Indian tourists, non-resident Indians (NRIs), business travellers, professionals and students who make payments in Israel.
As of December 2025, UPI is accepted in eight countries: Bhutan, Singapore, Qatar, Mauritius, Nepal, UAE, Sri Lanka and France.
Separately, Indian authorities have been in discussions with Ant International on a possible connection between Alipay+ and UPI for international transactions. If concluded, Indian travellers could use UPI abroad at merchants that accept Alipay+.
