Trinidad and Tobago is moving towards implementing India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), becoming the first Caribbean nation to adopt the digital payments technology, its High Commissioner to India, Chandradath Singh, has said.
The initiative is being pursued under an agreement between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Digital Transformation.
The partnership is aimed at developing a real-time payments platform modelled on UPI, with the broader objective of creating a reliable, efficient and interoperable digital payments ecosystem in the country. NIPL and the ministry signed the agreement in September 2024.
Real-time payments platform to cover consumers and businesses
Under the agreement, the planned system is intended to support both person-to-person and person-to-merchant transactions. The partnership also envisages greater interoperability with domestic and international payment networks, while improving accessibility and affordability of digital payments.
NIPL is providing technology expertise and sharing its experience with India's digital payments infrastructure to support Trinidad and Tobago's efforts to modernise its financial ecosystem. The project is also expected to promote financial inclusion by making digital transactions easier and more accessible.
The Indian High Commission in Port of Spain says the rollout is currently under way. It describes Trinidad and Tobago as the first country in the Caribbean region to adopt the UPI platform.
UPI initiative comes amid expanding India-Trinidad ties
Singh highlighted the payments project while speaking at an event marking the 50th anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago becoming a republic.
He said the initiative was part of a broader strengthening of ties between the two countries across technology, trade, investment, healthcare and technical cooperation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Trinidad and Tobago resulted in six memoranda of understanding and agreements, according to Singh. The agreements are aimed at expanding people-to-people links and cooperation in areas including trade, investment and technology.
India and Trinidad and Tobago are also marking 64 years of diplomatic relations. Their relationship has an older historical dimension, with the arrival of Indian indentured labourers in Trinidad dating back to 1845. The descendants of those workers now form a significant part of Trinidad and Tobago's population and have contributed to the country's economic, political and cultural life.
Economic cooperation extends beyond digital payments
The two countries are also expanding cooperation in healthcare and education. Trinidad and Tobago has recognised Indian Pharmacopoeia standards, while an agreement has been reached to establish an Indian Chair on Ayurveda at the University of the West Indies.
India has also provided support through laptops for schoolchildren and medical assistance under the Jaipur Foot initiative, according to Singh.
Trade between the two countries has also expanded following the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. India's exports to Trinidad and Tobago include vehicles and automotive components, iron and steel, pharmaceutical products and plastics, while imports include mineral fuels, iron and steel, ores and aluminium. Bilateral trade reached $267.73 million in 2025-26, according to data cited by the Indian High Commission.
Trinidad and Tobago seeks investment in multiple sectors
The Caribbean nation is also seeking to diversify its economy beyond oil and gas, with investment opportunities being explored in manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, biotechnology and creative industries.
Trinidad and Tobago has been involved in the oil industry since 1908 and remains a major natural gas producer. Singh said the country has produced around 3.3 billion standard cubic feet of gas a day over the past five years.
The energy sector accounts for an estimated 35.7% of the country's gross domestic product and around 78% of its exports, according to figures cited by the High Commissioner.
International companies including Shell, BP and ExxonMobil are involved in energy projects in the country, with Singh saying these investments run into hundreds of millions of dollars and could generate employment opportunities.
UPI expansion adds a new dimension to bilateral partnership
The planned payments system gives the India-Trinidad and Tobago relationship a new digital dimension. Rather than being limited to conventional trade and diplomatic engagement, the partnership will involve the transfer of technology and expertise developed through India's digital public infrastructure.
NIPL's 2024 agreement specifically envisaged a system that could make digital payments more accessible, affordable and interconnected while supporting financial inclusion.
For India, the project represents another overseas application of technology developed around UPI. For Trinidad and Tobago, it offers an opportunity to build a real-time payments infrastructure tailored to its domestic financial ecosystem while drawing on India's experience.
Trinidad and Tobago set for UNSC role
The deepening relationship comes as Trinidad and Tobago prepares to serve as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-28 term.
The country secured 181 votes out of 190 in a single round of voting. Singh thanked India for its support and said the two-year tenure would provide Trinidad and Tobago an opportunity to contribute to discussions on global peace, security, development and international cooperation.
Among the issues highlighted by the country are illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons, trafficking of women and children, and the implications of artificial intelligence for global security.
Singh also highlighted cricket as a longstanding cultural link between India and the West Indies, while pointing to the contribution of the Indian-origin community to Trinidad and Tobago's national life.
The UPI initiative, therefore, forms part of a wider relationship that combines historical people-to-people connections with expanding cooperation in technology, commerce, healthcare and international affairs.