Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 10 : The growing adoption of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in France has not only enhanced the convenience of digital transactions for visitors but has also led to a significant increase in the number of Indian tourists visiting the country, according to Christophe Mariette, Chairman of Lyra Network.
In an exclusive conversation withon the sidelines of the Global Fintech Fest 2025, Mariette said that the introduction of UPI payments in France, particularly at popular tourist destinations, has contributed to a 40 per cent increase in Indian tourists.
"We launched more than one year ago UPI at the Eiffel Tower, and it's going quite well. More and more Indian tourists are going to the Eiffel Tower. I was with the general manager of the Eiffel Tower a few weeks ago, and he told me that the number of Indian tourists have increased by 40 per cent," Mariette stated.
He explained that the ability to use familiar digital payment systems such as UPI helps Indian tourists feel more comfortable and secure while traveling abroad.
"When you are in a country, you feel much more secure if you are using your own payment method. And the great thing with UPI is that you see exactly the amount of the expense in rupees, and the same amount is deducted from your account. It's very secure for Indian tourists when they come to France to pay with UPI," he added.
Speaking about Lyra Network's operations in India, Mariette said that the company has been active in the country for over 18 years.
"We are working with major banks. We got our payment aggregator agreement from the Reserve Bank of India, and we are very happy that UPI is more and more accepted right now," he noted.
He also announced that UPI payments will soon be accepted in Bicester Village, with the first location being La Vallee Village in France.
"Indians love to do luxury shopping but with discounts, and this is what Bicester provides," Mariette said, emphasizing the growing collaboration between India's fintech ecosystem and global retail destinations.
Bicester Village is a designer outlet shopping centre on the outskirts of Bicester, a town in Oxfordshire, England.
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