India’s Unified Payments Interface is now accepted in Qatar. Piyush Goyal inaugurated the service on October 6–7, 2025 at LuLu Hypermarket, The Pearl, Doha, during his official visit for the Joint Commission meetings. The Press Information Bureau said the minister also met business leaders and discussed deeper trade ties.
UPI acceptance began with a pilot at Qatar Duty Free in Hamad International Airport, then widened to stores acquired by Qatar National Bank (QNB), with the tech stack provided by NETSTARS.
How UPI will work in Qatar
Indian visitors and residents can scan QR codes and pay from any UPI app at QNB-acquired merchants. LuLu Hypermarket is the first large retail chain to go live nationwide.
Commercial Bank (CBQ) has also signed with NIPL to enable UPI acceptance across its merchant network, adding to coverage.
Who benefits
Qatar hosts about 835,000 Indian nationals, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Everyday spending becomes faster and cheaper, with no card forex fees.
Indian travelers gain a familiar checkout flow from landing to city shopping. Hamad International Airport duty-free was the first live site, so usage starts right at arrival.
Remittances already exist in parallel. CBQ launched UPI-based remittances to India on March 14, 2023, letting customers send money using a UPI ID. The new launch focuses on in-store payments.
Trade angle and the “eighth country” milestone
Goyal’s Doha visit included signals on economic integration. India and Qatar aim to finalize the Terms of Reference for an FTA or CEPA as part of the Joint Commission agenda.
With Qatar’s go-live, media tallies place it as the eighth country where UPI is accepted, after France, the UAE, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka.
