NTT DATA Signs MoU for UPI Payment Acceptance Across Merchants in Japan
NTT Data has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NPCI International Payments Limited, a subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The MoU establishes the foundation to enable acceptance of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India's leading real-time payment system for Indian tourists in Japan. This initiative will facilitate merchant transactions across the country, powered by NTT DATA.
UPI allows secure and instant transfers between bank accounts through mobile payment applications. Since its launch in 2016, UPI has driven rapid growth in digital payments and financial inclusion across India. In September 2025 alone, the platform recorded close to 20 billion transactions, with a total transaction value crossing $ 280 billion.
"This collaboration marks an important milestone as we expand payment choices for inbound travelers from India," said Masanori Kurihara, Head of Payments Services Sector, NTT DATA. "By initiating the partnership for UPI acceptance in Japan, we aim to make shopping and payments more convenient for Indian tourists, while helping Japanese merchants capture new opportunities."
Mr. Ritesh Shukla, MD & CEO of NIPL, said, "The MoU with NTT DATA lays the foundation for enabling UPI acceptance in Japan. This partnership is an important step toward improving the digital payment experience for Indian travellers and simplifying cross-border payments. It also reflects our ambition to take UPI to more international markets and establish it as one of the most trusted digital payment systems globally."
The initiation of UPI partnership in Japan is representative of its ongoing global expansion and its first launch in East Asia. With Indian tourism to Japan on the rise, this initiative will not only contribute to merchant competitiveness by diversifying payment options but also support Japan's broader cashless strategy.
NTT DATA and NIPL will jointly examine opportunities for UPI enablement in Japan, with the objective of assessing its potential for merchants and consumers.
About NTT DATA
NTT DATA is a $30+ billion business and technology services leader, serving 75% of the Fortune Global 100. We are committed to accelerating client success and positively impacting society through responsible innovation. We are one of the world's leading AI and digital infrastructure providers, with unmatched capabilities in enterprise-scale AI, cloud, security, connectivity, data centers and application services. Our consulting and industry solutions help organizations and society move confidently and sustainably into the digital future. As a Global Top Employer, we have experts in more than 50 countries. We also offer clients access to a robust ecosystem of innovation centers as well as established and start-up partners. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group, which invests over $3 billion each year in R&D.
About NPCI International
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) was incorporated on April 3, 2020, as a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). As NPCI's international arm, NIPL is devoted to deploying NPCI's indigenous, successful real-time payment system—Unified Payments Interface (UPI)—and card scheme (RuPay) outside of India. NPCI has successfully developed and proved its products and technological capabilities in the domestic market by transforming the payment segment in India. Currently, there are several countries that seek to establish a real-time payment system or a domestic card scheme. NIPL, with its knowledge and experience, can offer these countries technological assistance through licensing and consulting for building real-time payment systems to meet the rapidly evolving needs of fast-growing global businesses. NIPL focuses on transforming payments across the globe through technology and innovation. It will not only enable payments for Indians but also support other countries by enhancing their payment capabilities using technological assistance, consulting, and infrastructure.
Norbert Gehrke
