Mumbai, October 30 (IANS). Spanish President Pedro Sanchez purchased the idol of Lord Ganesha in Mumbai during his visit to India. He purchased this idol using UPI. With the President of Spain using UPI, he has become the latest high-profile foreign leader to adopt India’s leading digital payments technology.
Pedro Sanchez’s use of UPI in India reflects the growing influence of UPI on the global stage. However, before the President of Spain, the name of French President Emmanuel Macron comes to the fore for using UPI. The President of France started this trend by making UPI payments on the occasion of Republic Day in India in January this year.
The UPI was formally launched at the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris just a week after Macron’s visit. This visit of Sanchez took place during Diwali in India. On this occasion he participated in traditional festivities with his wife Begoña Gómez.
The Spanish first couple lit lamps and lit pencil sparklers along with Indian locals. Apart from this, they also tasted laddus and other popular Indian sweets.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on social media platform X and informed about the use of UPI by Pedro Sanchez.
He wrote in the post, “Experience India’s digital revolution first-hand. President Sanchez made payments through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Mumbai, with real-time and seamless transactions. The digital route is fast connecting India-Spain.” “Engaging technical partnerships.”
UPI was launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016. UPI is regulated by RBI. This is a smartphone based payment system. Users using smartphones with UPI apps can do online transactions through phone number, QR code.
–IANS
SKT/ABM