Non-Resident Indians (NRI) can now make online UPI transaction with ease. ICICI Bank, a leading Indian Private sector bank, has announced a new feature that allows NRIs residing in 10 countries to utilize the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for transactions using their international mobile numbers. This eliminates a previous hurdle that required NRIs to have an Indian mobile number registered with their accounts.
Previously, NRIs faced an inconvenience when it came to using UPI, a popular digital payment platform in India. To register for UPI and utilize its features, an Indian mobile number was mandatory. This posed a challenge for NRIs who primarily used international phone numbers. ICICI Bank’s new initiative aims to bridge this gap and streamline the payment process for NRIs.
“We are delighted to launch the UPI facility on international mobile numbers throug iMobile Pay,” said Sidharatha Mishra, Head – Digital Channels and Partnerships at ICICI Bank, in a press release. “With this facility, our NRI customers residing in 10 countries do no need to switch to an Indian mobile number to pay using UPI.” From utility bills to scanning of QR for quick payments, NRI can scan QR codes and can access all the benefits of UPI transactions without the need to buy an Indian number
The service is currently available for NRIs residing in the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. NRI s can leverage ICICI bank’s mobile banking app, iMobile Pay, to register their international mobile number and generate UPI ID which will allow them to make and manage seamless UPI transactions.
This approach by the ICICI Bank is likely to transform the realm of UPI transaction for NRIs, making their Indian transaction more convenient. It is a significant move toward financial inclusion for the big NRI community, and it may inspire them to become more involved in the Indian Financial ecosystem.
