NPCI partners NTT for UPI acceptance in Japan

MUMBAI: NPCI International Payments (NIPL), the overseas arm of NPCI, has signed an MoU with NTT DATA Japan to enable UPI acceptance across merchant locations in Japan. The partnership aims to simplify digital payments for Indian tourists and deepen cross-border payment collaboration between India and Japan.NTT DATA Japan operates CAFIS, the country’s largest card payment processing network, connecting acquirers, issuers, merchants, and ATM operators. Under the agreement, NIPL and NTT DATA Japan will jointly work on integrating UPI into Japan’s merchant ecosystem, allowing Indian tourists to make payments by scanning QR codes using their UPI apps.Between Jan and Aug 2025, over 208,000 Indian visitors travelled to Japan, a 36% increase from 2024, reflecting growing travel between the two countries.

Ritesh Shukla, MD & CEO of NIPL, said, “The MoU with NTT DATA lays the foundation for enabling UPI acceptance in Japan. This partnership is an important step toward improving the digital payment experience for Indian travellers and simplifying cross-border payments.

It also reflects our ambition to take UPI to more international markets and establish it as one of the most trusted digital payment systems globally.”

Masanori Kurihara, head of payments in Japan at NTT DATA, said, “This collaboration marks an important milestone as we expand payment choices for inbound travellers from India. By initiating the partnership for UPI acceptance in Japan, we aim to make shopping and payments more convenient for Indian tourists, while helping Japanese merchants capture new opportunities.”The partnership with NTT DATA builds on NIPL’s ongoing global expansion. NPCI International has forged partnerships with payment providers in Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, Singapore, Sri Lanka, UAE, and France to enable UPI acceptance for Indian travellers. These tie-ups support both QR-based payments and interoperable links. The stages of collaboration range from operational launch in Bhutan, Singapore, Mauritius, UAE, and France to ongoing assessments and pilot deployments in Qatar, Oman, Southeast Asia, and Japan.

The agreement with NTT DATA marks the latest foundational MoU in Japan, adding to a network of partnerships already in live or advanced stages before Oct 2025.