Indian Tourists Embrace UPI for Seamless Transactions

Indian Tourists Embrace UPI for Seamless Transactions

By Author

Published on February 6, 2024

The iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris is ushering in a new era for Indian tourists, allowing them to effortlessly purchase tickets via India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI). This groundbreaking development, announced during a celebratory event hosted by the Indian Embassy in France for Republic Day, marks a significant leap forward in global digital transactions.

In a strategic collaboration, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), a subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has joined forces with Lyra, a French e-commerce and payments platform, to introduce the UPI payment mechanism in France. The Eiffel Tower proudly becomes the first merchant in the country to embrace UPI, with plans to extend this service to other tourism and retail establishments across France and Europe.

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With this integration, Indian tourists can now streamline their Eiffel Tower visit by purchasing tickets online through the simple and secure UPI payment system. This user-friendly process involves scanning a QR code generated on the merchant's website, making the transaction quick, easy, and hassle-free.

The vision of a truly interoperable global payment system takes a step closer to reality as NIPL actively collaborates with financial institutions worldwide to establish partnerships. Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL, emphasizes the ambition to enable acceptance of NPCI's payment solutions in international markets, offering consumers convenient and secure cross-border payment solutions.

Lyra, with its 17-year presence in India, expresses pride in the partnership and the potential it holds for the French and European tourism ecosystem. Christophe Mariette, Commercial Director of Lyra France, highlights the promise of new business opportunities resulting from this collaboration.

This move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement during his visit to France, where he declared the initiation of the UPI payment mechanism from the iconic Eiffel Tower. The global reach of UPI extends to various countries, including Singapore, where the payment system has been seamlessly integrated, showcasing India's commitment to digital advancements.

With more than 380 million users in India, UPI has become a cornerstone of digital transactions, recording a staggering 12.2 billion transactions in the previous month alone. The Eiffel Tower's adoption of UPI not only simplifies the payment process for Indian tourists but also paves the way for a digital revolution in global tourism.


Palaniappa Electronics Introduces Thermostar: The Chemical-Free Steam Powerhouse for Hotel Hygiene

By Author

Published on October 27, 2025

In today’s hospitality world, cleanliness and sustainability are the cornerstones of guest trust. Addressing this growing need, Palaniappa Electronics introduces the Thermostar Steam Cleaning System, a powerful, chemical-free cleaning solution that is transforming hygiene maintenance across India’s leading hotels.

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Harnessing the natural power of superheated dry steam, Thermostar ensures deep sanitization without a single drop of detergent. In hotel kitchens, it cuts through stubborn grease, oil, and grime on cooking equipment, trolleys, and storage areas, leaving every surface spotless and hygienic. Beyond kitchens, it revitalizes carpets, upholstery, and bathrooms, effortlessly removing stains, scaling deposits, and odors while restoring original shine and freshness.

What sets Thermostar apart is its eco-friendly, cost-efficient, and odor-free cleaning process. By eliminating the use of chemicals, it safeguards both the environment and the health of guests and staff, an essential factor for hotels striving to align operations with sustainable standards.

For General Managers, Executive Housekeepers, and Chefs, Thermostar is not just another cleaning tool. It is a strategic investment in hygiene excellence and operational efficiency.

Behind this innovation stands Palaniappa Electronics, a trusted name in the electronics industry for over twenty-one years. With a strong presence across South India, the company is the authorized distributor for Samsung, JVD, and over eighteen global brands. It caters to hotels, hospitals, and educational institutions with a comprehensive portfolio that includes TVs, displays, laundry equipment, dishwashers, refrigerators, and more.

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Under the guidance of Mr. Muthu Solaiappan, Head of Operations, Palaniappa Electronics continues to strengthen its position as a reliable partner for the hospitality sector, combining technology, sustainability, and service excellence.

To experience the power of steam cleaning, request a Thermostar demo today and discover how it can redefine your hotel’s standard of clean.

muthu@palaniappagroup.com | +91 90030 45685 


Technogym Launches AI-Powered Checkup for Smarter and Healthier Workouts

Technogym Launches AI-Powered Checkup for Smarter and Healthier Workouts

By Hariharan U

Published on October 25, 2025

Technogym has launched its latest innovation, the Technogym Checkup, an AI-based assessment station that redefines how fitness and wellness are personalised. Designed to measure both physical and cognitive parameters, the system helps users understand their current health profile and prescribes a targeted training plan that evolves over time.

Starting with a detailed analysis of physical and functional conditions, Technogym Checkup uses artificial intelligence to determine your Wellness Age, a number that reflects how fit your body truly is. Based on this, the system recommends a precision training programme that adjusts automatically as your performance and lifestyle improve.

Once you log in through the Technogym App, the Checkup conducts accurate tests to evaluate body composition, balance, mobility, strength, and even cognitive ability. All this data is processed by Technogym AI Coach, which transforms it into a personalised, data-backed fitness plan that’s easily accessible through the Technogym Ecosystem. Whether you’re training at home, at the gym, in a hotel, or even at work, your tailored programme is always within reach.

The innovation doesn’t just stop at personal fitness. The system’s ability to calculate your Wellness Age offers a clear, motivating metric to track progress  helping users become not just fitter but younger in wellness terms. With its adaptive AI, the programme continually evolves to keep workouts aligned with your goals, ensuring better and faster results.

For gyms, wellness centres, and other industry operators, Technogym Checkup presents a powerful opportunity to offer next-generation fitness experiences. It allows them to deliver a smooth, personalised journey for every member, right from onboarding to ongoing progress tracking, while also driving customer loyalty and new business growth.

Founded in 1983, Technogym has long been recognised as a global leader in fitness, wellness, and sports innovation. With more than 2,500 employees and a presence in over 100 countries, the brand powers more than 85,000 wellness centres and 400,000 homes worldwide. Technogym also continues its legacy as the Official Supplier to the Paris 2024 Olympics, marking its ninth partnership with the Games, a testament to its reputation as the go-to choice for athletes and champions globally.

For more details, visit Technogym’s official website.


Airbnb Introduces Social Features and Platform Updates for Enhanced Guest Experiences

Airbnb Introduces Social Features and Platform Updates for Enhanced Guest Experiences

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on October 24, 2025

Airbnb is enhancing its platform with new social features for Airbnb Experiences, designed to facilitate interaction among guests before, during, and after their activities. The updates also include improvements to search, maps, payments, AI-powered support, and host tools to better manage listings and pricing ahead of the busy winter travel season.

The social features aim to strengthen connections between guests. A survey in India revealed that over 90% of respondents wanted to learn more about fellow guests before booking. In response, Airbnb now displays attendee information, including locations, and allows guests to message each other during and after experiences. The Connections section in the Airbnb profile tab also helps users reconnect with past contacts, while maintaining full privacy control over profile sharing and messaging permissions.

To enhance discovery, Airbnb has expanded search results to include homes slightly outside original criteria and introduced updated maps. Users can filter by landmarks, attractions, restaurants, and more, with future plans to add satellite, street, and transit views. The Reserve Now, Pay Later option lets guests reserve eligible stays without upfront payment, initially launched in the U.S. and slated for global expansion.

Airbnb’s AI assistant has been upgraded for smarter, personalised support in English, Spanish, and French across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The assistant can recognise users, reservations, or listings, offering faster responses and allowing common tasks like cancellations or date modifications directly in the chat interface.

Hosts gain new tools for flexibility and insight, including setting different cancellation policies for specific periods, receiving advanced price recommendations, and planning for seasonal trends. In the following year, hosts will also be able to view year-on-year earnings trends and compare seasonal performance through a redesigned dashboard.

These updates aim to create a more seamless and engaging experience for both guests and hosts, combining social connection, flexible payments, and smarter management tools across Airbnb’s platform.

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