Trinidad & Tobago has officially adopted India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), becoming the eighth country worldwide and the first in the Caribbean to implement the instant digital payment system. The announcement, made during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Port of Spain, marks a major milestone in the global expansion of Indian fintech and digital public infrastructure.
UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is India’s flagship real-time digital payments platform, developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Since its launch in 2016, UPI has revolutionized payments in India, enabling seamless peer-to-peer and peer-to-merchant transactions via mobile devices. In 2024 alone, UPI processed over 10 billion transactions monthly, with record-breaking volumes and values.
Trinidad & Tobago’s adoption of UPI means that residents and businesses will now have access to instant, secure, and cashless transactions, similar to the digital payments experience enjoyed by millions in India. The move is expected to modernize the country’s financial landscape, enhance financial inclusion, and make everyday transactions easier and faster for citizens.
The development follows a strategic agreement signed in September 2024 between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and the Ministry of Digital Transformation (MDT) of Trinidad & Tobago. The deal gives Trinidad & Tobago complete ownership and operational control of UPI within its borders, including a skill transfer component to help the nation further develop and adapt the technology.
The agreement is the result of over a year of discussions, reflecting Trinidad & Tobago’s aspiration for digital growth and economic modernization. The partnership also includes plans for further collaboration on India Stack solutions such as DigiLocker, e-Sign, and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), aiming to strengthen digital governance and public service delivery.
With this adoption, Trinidad & Tobago joins a select group of nations using UPI, including France, UAE, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and Singapore. Each partnership is tailored to the host country’s needs, but all share the goal of leveraging Indian fintech expertise to drive digital transformation and financial inclusion.
During his visit, PM Modi congratulated Trinidad & Tobago on this digital leap and announced additional measures to strengthen bilateral ties, including educational scholarships, healthcare support, and technology transfers. The visit also saw the signing of six MoUs spanning pharma, infrastructure, and digital cooperation, underscoring the growing strategic partnership between the two nations.
