Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the second phase of the India-Bhutan RuPay Card on 20 November 2020. Prime Minister Modi said that like all Indians, I also have a special love and friendship for Bhutan. Whenever I meet you, there is a special feeling of belonging.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that today we are starting the second phase of RuPay Card. With the RuPay card issued by Bhutan National Bank, you will be able to transact up to Rs 1 lakh from ATMs in India and up to Rs 20 lakh at point sale terminals. This will enable tourism, shopping and other transactions for Bhutanese tourists coming to India.
Prime Minister Modi said that the special relationship between India and Bhutan is not only important for both the nations, but is an excellent example for the world. In our collaboration, we took initiative in the field of digital and emerging technology. The first phase of RuPay Card was started during my visit to Bhutan. This facilitated payment of Indians in Bhutan with a card issued by Indian banks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier launched the first phase RuPay card during the Bhutan Yatra in 2019. Under the first phase, citizens of India were able to transact at Bhutan’s ATMs and Point of Sale Machines (PoS).
The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement in this context that in the first phase, citizens of India could use RuPay cards across Bhutan to use the ATM network, while in the second phase, Bhutanese citizens could use RuPay cards in India to use ATM networks.
The RuPay card is a domestic plastic card, launched by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). Its purpose is to integrate payment systems. From major banks like State Bank of India (SBI) to all major banks of the country, RuPay Debit Cards have been issued. The United Arab Emirates became the first country in West Asia to adopt the Indian system of electronic payments.
