NPCI International Payments Limited has introduced UPI acceptance at Mustafa Centre in Singapore, backed by a strategic out-of-home advertising campaign in Little India, aiming to facilitate Indian travellers and expand cross-border payments.
NPCI International Payments Limited has rolled out acceptance of Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, at Mustafa Centre in Singapore, pairing the launch with a high-visibility out-of-home campaign across Little India. The move is aimed at making it easier for Indian travellers to pay using a familiar digital system while shopping at one of the city-state’s best-known retail landmarks, according to the company’s announcement and reporting by Business Standard.
The campaign used static billboards at Hotel Boss, Jalan Besar Plaza, 136 Syed Alwi Road and Mustafa Centre itself, turning the surrounding district into a branded corridor leading to the store. The creative leaned on a simple message: “Pay the way you pay in India with UPI”, alongside app logos and a stated 10% launch discount to encourage immediate use. By placing the promotion close to the point of sale, NPCI sought to convert awareness into transactions rather than merely advertise a new service.
Mustafa Centre is a natural fit for that strategy. The shopping complex operates around the clock and draws both locals and visitors, particularly travellers from India, according to travel and retail listings. Its location in Little India gives it steady foot traffic and a customer mix that is already likely to recognise UPI, which should make the payment option easier to adopt than in a less targeted setting.
The launch also fits a broader push by NPCI’s international arm to widen UPI’s footprint in Singapore. Business Standard reported in March that NIPL had partnered with Singapore-based payments infrastructure firm HitPay with the aim of extending UPI acceptance to more than 12,000 merchants across the country. That effort underlines how the system is being positioned not just as a travel convenience, but as part of a larger cross-border payments network.
The advertising approach reflects a wider truth about out-of-home media in Singapore: location matters. Industry guides on OOH advertising in the city-state say premium sites work best when they sit along natural consumer routes and in dense retail areas where purchase decisions are being made. In that sense, NPCI’s campaign was as much about geography as messaging, using repeated exposure in a busy commercial district to build confidence in a new payment option at the moment it could matter most.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
