India's UPI to operate in Israel in major digital payments push
India has officially extended its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to Israel, marking a major milestone in digital finance collaboration and signaling a broader push to integrate technology and innovation into bilateral relations. The announcement came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day state visit to Israel, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss strategic, technological, and defense partnerships.
Addressing a joint press briefing, PM Modi said, "We have decided to establish a critical and emerging technology partnership. I am happy that an agreement has been signed for the use of UPI in Israel. We will further our work in civil nuclear energy and space fields. Together, we will develop future-ready farming solutions. We will work on creating villages of excellence."
Also Read: Modi and Netanyahu power up India-Israel ties in defense, UPI, energy, and space
The move to adopt UPI in Israel will allow seamless digital payments for Indian and Israeli businesses and consumers, expanding India’s fintech footprint globally while strengthening trade and investment ties.
Strategic and technological collaboration
The joint statement highlighted several areas of cooperation beyond digital payments:
Joint development and manufacturing of weapons to reinforce defense ties.
Finalisation of a bilateral trade deal in the near term.
Expansion of I2U2 collaboration for regional development initiatives.
Partnerships in civil nuclear energy, space exploration, and emerging technologies.
PM Modi underscored the shared commitment to security, saying, "India and Israel are clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. Terrorism cannot be accepted in any form. We will continue to fight against terrorism and its supporters...We will proceed together on IMEC and I2U2..." He also noted the elevation of India-Israel relations to a “special strategic partnership,” calling it “a reflection of the aspirations of both the nations.”
Israeli PM Netanyahu praised the collaboration, highlighting government-to-government efficiency: “You have an amazingly efficient government. What you can do with one minister and one ambassador… The meeting of minds and hearts that we have had here will also continue in this remarkable G2G that is long overdue and will create an even greater boost to the enormous benefits that we can bring to each other.”
Addressing a joint press briefing, PM Modi said, "We have decided to establish a critical and emerging technology partnership. I am happy that an agreement has been signed for the use of UPI in Israel. We will further our work in civil nuclear energy and space fields. Together, we will develop future-ready farming solutions. We will work on creating villages of excellence."
Also Read: Modi and Netanyahu power up India-Israel ties in defense, UPI, energy, and space
The move to adopt UPI in Israel will allow seamless digital payments for Indian and Israeli businesses and consumers, expanding India’s fintech footprint globally while strengthening trade and investment ties.
Strategic and technological collaboration
The joint statement highlighted several areas of cooperation beyond digital payments:
Joint development and manufacturing of weapons to reinforce defense ties.
Finalisation of a bilateral trade deal in the near term.
Expansion of I2U2 collaboration for regional development initiatives.
Partnerships in civil nuclear energy, space exploration, and emerging technologies.
PM Modi underscored the shared commitment to security, saying, "India and Israel are clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. Terrorism cannot be accepted in any form. We will continue to fight against terrorism and its supporters...We will proceed together on IMEC and I2U2..." He also noted the elevation of India-Israel relations to a “special strategic partnership,” calling it “a reflection of the aspirations of both the nations.”
Israeli PM Netanyahu praised the collaboration, highlighting government-to-government efficiency: “You have an amazingly efficient government. What you can do with one minister and one ambassador… The meeting of minds and hearts that we have had here will also continue in this remarkable G2G that is long overdue and will create an even greater boost to the enormous benefits that we can bring to each other.”
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