"In France, an agreement has been made for the use of India's UPI...It will be started from the Eiffel Tower, and now Indian tourists would be able to make payments in Rupees, through UPI, in the Eiffel Tower," PM Modi said.
The National Payments Corporation Of India (NPCI) that offers the UPI services had signed an MoU with France’s secure online payment system, Lyra, in 2022.
Before France, India had signed an agreement with Singapore’s PayNow in 2023 to allow users in both the countries to make cross-border transactions. Meanwhile, UAE, Bhutan, and Nepal already have adopted the UPI system.
The NPCI aims to extend UPI services in several other countries in Europe, West Asia, and in the US.
PM Modi also confirmed that France has decided to grant long-term five year visas for students pursuing a masters degree in France. Addressing the Indian community, the Prime Minister asked them to invest in India in a big way. He said this is the most opportune time to invest in the country and the ones who invest early will reap benefits.
Reminiscing on his earlier days when he first became a member of the Alliance Francaise Centre in Ahmedabad in 1981, PM Modi said, "My attachment to France is quite old, and I can never forget it. Around 40 years ago, a cultural centre of France was started in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and the first member of that very centre is today talking to you."
The Prime Minister also exalted India as the mother of democracy and diversity "This is our greatest strength. In India, there are more than 100 languages, 1,000 dialects. More than 32,000 newspapers get published every day in these languages," the prime minister said.
