French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday praised India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), describing it as a digital public infrastructure achievement unmatched anywhere in the world.
Addressing delegates at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi, Macron said India has created a digital identity ecosystem serving 1.4 billion people.
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“India built something no other country has built — a digital identity for 1.4 billion people,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.
From Street Vendors to Seamless Payments
Beginning his remarks with a personal anecdote, Macron highlighted how technology has reshaped everyday transactions in India. “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.”
“Ten years ago, a street vendor in Mumbai could not open a bank account — no address, no documents, no access. Today, that same vendor accepts digital payments on his phone.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, praised PM Modi’s visionary… pic.twitter.com/jvY3UnTziQ
— BJP (@BJP4India) February 19, 2026
Through this example, Macron underscored how India’s digital infrastructure has expanded financial inclusion at scale.
A Familiar Admiration for UPI
This is not the first time Macron has publicly praised UPI. During his 2024 state visit to India, he witnessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi using UPI to pay at a local shop in Jaipur.
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The two leaders shared tea in traditional kulhads near Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal, where Modi completed the transaction via his phone. As the shopkeeper received instant confirmation, Macron appeared visibly impressed. The Prime Minister then explained UPI’s speed, simplicity and nationwide accessibility.
UPI’s Expansion to France and Europe
India’s digital payments system has since crossed borders. In July 2023, Modi announced that Indian travellers would soon be able to use UPI in France. That initiative materialised in February 2024, making France the first European nation to adopt UPI.
The expansion followed a partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited and Lyra, enabling UPI acceptance across merchant locations in France.
As a result, Indian tourists and students in France can now make digital payments using their existing UPI apps, marking UPI’s formal entry into Europe’s payments ecosystem.
UPI as a Model for Inclusive Innovation
UPI allows users to link multiple bank accounts to a single mobile application, enabling instant fund transfers, merchant payments and peer-to-peer transactions.
Macron’s remarks reflect growing international recognition of India’s digital public infrastructure as a blueprint for inclusive and scalable innovation — particularly as global conversations around artificial intelligence and digital transformation gather pace.
