Embassy of India Thimphu Press Release: Launch of BHIM UPI in Bhutan BHIM UPI was jointly launched in Bhutan on 13 July 2021 by Hon. Finance Minister o India !ir"ala #itharaman and Hon. Finance Minister o Bhutan $yon%o !am&ay 'sherin&. 'he launch e(ent was also attended by Minister o #tate )r. Bhagwat *ishanrao *arad+ ,o(ernor o the -oyal Monetary .uthority o Bhutan )asho Penjore+ #ecretary+ )epart"ent o Financial #er(ices #hri )ebashish Panda, ."bassador o India to Bhutan -uchira *amboj, ."bassador o Bhutan to India ,eneral /etso% !am&yel+ M) and 012 o !PCI #hri )ili% .sbe and senior officials fro" the Go(ern"ent o India and the Royal Go(ern"ent o Bhutan. 'he cere"ony included a li(e transaction by Hon. Finance Minister o India !ir"ala #itharaman+ who "ade a cashless pay"ent throu&h her BHIM app by scannin& the 4- code o 2,2P+ an outlet in 'hi"phu that sells resh ar" produce "ade or&anically by Bhutanese rural co""unities. 5ith the launch+ Bhutan beco"es the 6rst country to ado%t UPI standards or its 4- deploy"ent and the 6rst country in the i""ediate nei&hbourhood to acce%t "obile based pay"ents throu&h the BHIM app. 'his initiati(e is e7%ected to boost Bhutan8s econo"y+ pro"ote inte&ration o the 6nancial syste"s and au&"ent cashless transactions between the nationals o India and Bhutan. 'he co""it"ent to launch BHIM UPI in Bhutan ste"s ro" the Joint #tate"ent issued durin& Pri"e Minister Modi8s #tate /isit to Bhutan in .u&ust 2019 when it was decided that alon& with the launch o -uPay+ a easibility study or use o India8s Bharat Inter ace or Money (BHIM; app in Bhutan will be undertaken. In .u&ust 2019, Pri"e Minister and Pri"e Minister $otay 'sherin& had or"ally launched the acility o use o Indian=issued -uPay cards in Bhutan+ which has &reatly acilitated Indian tra(ellers to Bhutan by reducin& the need to carry cash. In !o(e"ber 2020, both Pri"e Ministers launched Phase II o the -uPay project which led to issuance o -uPay cards by Bhutanese ban<s+ thereby bene6tin& Bhutanese tra(ellers to India and allowin& ull inter= operability o -uPay cards. The launch of BHIM UPI in Bhutan builds on the success of the RuPay project and further deepens the economic and nancial lin!a"es bet#een India and Bhutan. .