Kathmandu: NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening digital payment connectivity between India and Nepal through seamless cross-border payment solutions.
The initiative is reflected in the growing adoption of QR-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments in Nepal by Indian travellers, along with the recently launched linkage between India’s UPI and Nepal’s National Payments Interface (NPI), enabling real-time person-to-person (P2P) money transfers between the two countries.
UPI, India’s real-time account-to-account payment system, processes more than 23 billion financial transactions every month. Its interoperable architecture has enabled integration with Nepal’s domestic payment infrastructure for both merchant QR payments and P2P remittances.
India remains one of the largest sources of tourist arrivals to Nepal, with more than 290,000 Indian visitors recorded in 2025. UPI acceptance allows Indian travellers to make instant and convenient payments at merchant outlets across Nepal, including major tourist and pilgrimage destinations such as Chandragiri Hills, Manakamana Temple and Pashupatinath Temple.
Merchants connected through the Fonepay network can accept UPI payments, expanding digital payment access across retail, hospitality and other everyday businesses. The system also provides Nepali merchants with access to a large digitally active customer base while supporting faster payments, improved cash-flow management and reduced dependence on physical cash.
Real-time money transfers between India and Nepal
Alongside merchant payments, the UPI-NPI linkage with Nepal Clearing House Ltd. (NCHL) enables real-time P2P transfers between India and Nepal.
Indian and Nepali users can send money to Nepal using the recipient’s mobile number or virtual payment address (VPA), while Indian users in Nepal can transfer funds back to India using UPI IDs. The system reduces the need to share sensitive bank account details and provides a simplified and secure option for individuals and families relying on cross-border remittances.
Ritesh Shukla, MD & CEO of NPCI International, said the organisation is focused on enabling seamless cross-border payment experiences that improve connectivity and convenience for people and businesses. “In Nepal, our efforts are aimed at expanding digital payment acceptance, simplifying transactions for Indian travellers, and enabling faster, more affordable remittances for families across the India-Nepal corridor,” he said.
He added that NIPL, together with Fonepay and NCHL, is working to provide secure, real-time payment solutions that strengthen economic linkages and deepen the longstanding people-to-people relationship between India and Nepal.
NIPL said it will continue working with regulators and ecosystem partners in Nepal to expand the use of UPI-powered payment solutions, improve cross-border payment experiences and extend the P2P remittance linkage to additional banks.
The initiative is expected to further strengthen digital payment adoption and economic connectivity between the two neighbouring countries.
For more information visit https://www.nipl.com/
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