> Not being able to pay for things is a pretty fundamental problem even for a business traveler to Bangalore

In what situation were you as a foreign traveler where you needed to pay UPI?

Convenience stores and hypermarts like Reliance SMART/Digital and DMart or QuickCommerce platforms like Blinkit accept Visa and AmEx credit cards. Transit via Uber, Ola, and co accept Visa and AmEx credit cards. And most restaurants and bars targeted at outsiders accept Visa and AmEx credit cards. And Hotels accept Visa and AmEx credit cards or can be booked via platforms that accept them like AirBnB.

So transit, residence, restaurants, and convenience stores (all of which will be reimbursed by your employer) are all doable via credit card.

Fundamentally, UPI was built for India3, as were other peers across Asia, not foreigners.

But my SO and I never understood the tay ba lo mindset. Catering to them is what kept Thailand and the Dominican Republic stuck in tourism-induced Dutch disease because it incentivizes extractive and low productivity economic sectors like real estate and low skill services at the expense of human capital development and investing in high productivity industries.