Prime Minister Lotay Tshering along with his indian counterpart Narendra Modi will on November 19 launch RuPay card Phase-II that will allow Bhutanese card holders to access RuPay network in India. The Prime Ministers of the two countries had jointly launched Phase-I of the project during Mr. Modi’s state visit to Bhutan in August last year.

The implementation of Phase-I of RuPay cards in Bhutan has enabled visitors from India to access ATMs and Point of Sale (PoS) terminals across Bhutan. Phase-II will now allow Bhutanese card holders to access RuPay network in India, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The RuPay card is an Indian debit and credit card payment network, with acceptance at ATMs, POS devices and e-commerce websites.

A virtual ceremony for the joint launch of RuPay card Phase-II by Prime Minister Modi and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering will be held on November 20, the statement said. India and Bhutan share a special partnership, anchored in mutual understanding and respect, reinforced by a shared cultural heritage and strong people to people links, the MEA said.