Question 25 from UPSC CSE 2025 - Economics

Question

Consider the following countries:
I. United Arab Emirates
II. France
III. Germany
IV. Singapore
V. Bangladesh
How many of the above countries, other than India, accept international merchant payments under UPI?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. Only three

Strategy: Start by spotting the key phrase 'accept international merchant payments under UPI,' which refers to specific countries where UPI can be used for payments by Indian travelers or at international outlets. Recall the updated list: UAE, France, and Singapore support UPI payments for Indian users, as do a few others not mentioned here. Germany and Bangladesh are not on the UPI international merchant payment list. So, count only UAE, France, and Singapore—total three countries.

Key Info: Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payment system developed by NPCI (National Corporation of India) that allows instant fund transfer between banks via mobile platforms. International expansion involves tie-ups enabling use of UPI at merchant outlets abroad, largely for payments by Indian travelers using Indian bank accounts. As of early 2024, the UAE, France, and Singapore are among the nations permitting international UPI merchant payments; other countries in the network include Bhutan, Mauritius, Nepal, and Sri Lanka (not listed in the question). Germany and Bangladesh have not formally enabled UPI for international merchant payments. These cross-border arrangements are part of collaborations between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and foreign banks/payment operators. UPI's reach abroad is steadily expanding but remains limited to specific partner countries and merchants.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: Only two

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: Only four

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: All five

Consider the following countries: I. United Arab Emirates II. France III. Germany IV. Singapore V. Bangladesh How many of the above countries, other than India, accept international merchant payments under UPI?

Consider the following countries:
I. United Arab Emirates
II. France
III. Germany
IV. Singapore
V. Bangladesh
How many of the above countries, other than India, accept international merchant payments under UPI?