Soon, users may be able to send money instantly between India and Bahrain — here’s how

Real-time money transfers between India and Bahrain are set to become faster and easier. NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India, has partnered with Bahrain’s BENEFIT Company to enable cross-border remittances between the two countries.

The new system will connect India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Bahrain’s Electronic Fund Transfer System (EFTS), specifically the Fawri+ service, allowing users in both nations to send and receive money instantly and securely.

Established under the guidance of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), this collaboration marks a significant step toward improving cross-border payment connectivity. It aims to make remittances faster, cost-effective, and transparent, particularly benefiting the large Indian diaspora in Bahrain, which accounts for nearly 30% of the country’s population.

According to Ritesh Shukla, MD & CEO of NIPL, the partnership will strengthen financial connectivity and drive innovation in cross-border payments. “We believe this collaboration will deepen financial connectivity, promote financial inclusion, and benefit individuals and businesses alike,” he said.

Abdulwahed AlJanahi, Chief Executive of BENEFIT, called the partnership a “strategic milestone” for Bahrain’s digital finance ecosystem. “This initiative supports our efforts to deliver advanced, secure, and reliable digital payment services that expand economic relations between Bahrain and India,” he said.

Once operational, the UPI–Fawri+ linkage will enable real-time, secure, and inclusive remittance services, advancing both countries’ vision of a modern and connected digital payments infrastructure.