Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of Mauritius, Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, and Hon’ble President of Sri Lanka Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe today witnessed the virtual launch of RuPay cards and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) connectivity between India and Mauritius, as well as UPI connectivity between India and Sri Lanka. Reserve Bank of India Governor, Shri Shaktikanta Das, Bank of Mauritius Governor, Mr. Harvesh Seegolam, and Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe were also present on the occasion.

2.  With this connectivity, an Indian traveller to Mauritius will be able to pay a merchant in Mauritius using UPI. Similarly, a Mauritian traveller will be able to do the same in India using the Instant Payment System (IPS) app of Mauritius. Further, with the adoption of RuPay technology, the MauCAS card scheme of Mauritius will enable banks in Mauritius to issue RuPay cards domestically. Such cards can be used at ATMs and PoS terminals locally in Mauritius as well as in India. With this, Mauritius becomes the first country outside Asia to issue cards using RuPay technology. Indian RuPay cards would also be accepted at ATMs and PoS terminals in Mauritius.

3.  The digital payments connectivity with Sri Lanka will enable Indian travellers to make QR code-based payments at merchant locations in Sri Lanka using their UPI apps.

4.  These projects have been developed and executed by NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) along with partner banks / non-banks from Mauritius and Sri Lanka, under the guidance and support of Reserve Bank of India. The Bank of Mauritius and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka have also played an important role in making these possible. The above facilities have been made operational through select banks / non-banks / Third Party Application Providers in India, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. Going forward, these facilities will be scaled up.

5.  The collaborations on India’s digital payments connectivity with Mauritius and Sri Lanka through UPI and RuPay will deepen financial integration and strengthen the long historical, cultural, and economic relations of India with Mauritius and Sri Lanka.

(Yogesh Dayal)       
Chief General Manager

Press Release: 2023-2024/1858