France's Macron praises UPI, says India built something no other country has

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday praised India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), saying the country has built something no other nation has managed to achieve — a digital identity for 1.4 billion people.

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, Macron highlighted how technology has transformed everyday life for ordinary Indians. Beginning his address with a personal anecdote, he said, “Ten years ago, a street vendor in Mumbai could not open a bank account—no address, no papers, no access. Today, the same vendor accepts payments on his phone instantly and for free from anyone in the country.”

“India built something no other country has built — a digital identity for 1.4 billion people,” the French President said, drawing applause from the audience.

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