Canara Bank and NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) have announced the launch of cross-border inward bill payment services for Indians based in Oman.
NRIs can now leverage the robust platform offered by the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to make bill payments on behalf of their families through the Musandam Exchange, a statement said on Wednesday.
This initiative signifies a milestone for Canara Bank as the first public sector bank in India to offer inbound cross-border bill payments through BBPS, it added.
With the development, it said, Indians living in Oman will now be able to make quick, simple and secure payments of bills for services back home.
Musandam Exchange, managed by Canara Bank, is also the first exchange house in Oman to go live on cross-border inbound bill payments, the statement said.
The cross-border bill payment service is already live in Kuwait, facilitating inbound remittances across utilities like electricity, water, mobile phone, gas, credit card bills, and more.
NRIs in Oman will now enjoy these benefits for the first time, marking an important juncture in India's digital payments journey, it said, adding the service provides Indian expatriates, who until now had to rely on conventional methods to pay their domestic bills, with a much-needed option.
Canara Bank Managing Director K Satyanarayana Raju said, "This initiative is in line with our commitment to provide innovative and customer-centric solutions to our clients".
He expressed confidence that this facility will enhance the banking experience of NRI customers and strengthen relationships with them.