India, one of the most priority markets for Malaysia: Dato’ Muzafar Shah Mustafa
Malaysia has the second-largest population of ethnic Indians after the USA. “It shows how we are very much culturally linked.
New Delhi, India – Dato’ Muzafar Shah Mustafa, High Commissioner of Malaysia to India, has said that Indian tourists are among the biggest spenders, contributing to foreign exchange, and therefore India remains “one of the most priority markets” for Malaysia. In
He said this while addressing the media persons in New Delhi on February 24, a day before the launch of SATTE 2026.
“I think from that foundation, our nation has grown into other areas of our common interest. We continue to be strengthened, especially with the recent visit by Prime Minister Modi to Malaysia. It was a visit after our Prime Minister came to India,” the High Commissioner of Malaysia said.
“So during the visit, many issues of common interest were discussed, and we concluded many MOUs and also exchanged letters on many new areas of cooperation. So, talking about tourism, of course, I think India is one of the top priority markets for Malaysia, because we have seen growth in arrivals from India to Malaysia. And it has also contributed significantly in terms of our foreign exchange with Indian tourists,” he added.
He said that Malaysia has the second-largest population of ethnic Indians after the USA. “It shows how we are very much culturally linked. India is a priority market for Malaysia, contributing to the foreign exchange. Indian tourists are among the biggest spenders. Therefore, we want more Indian s to travel to Malaysia, which is a very friendly country for them.
While commenting on the initiatives to be launched to achieve the target of over 2 million Indian visitors to Malaysia in 2026, Dato’ Muzafar Shah Mustafa said that various activities, including seminars and golfing events, would be organised across the country.
When asked about any specific timeline for the launch of the UPI-Pay-net service in Malaysia, the Malaysian High Commissioner said it was a matter of time, as the MoU between the two countries on this was successfully concluded during PM Modi’s recent visit to Malaysia. “It will facilitate not only tourism but also business.
The MoU highlighted progress in digital cooperation between the two countries through the bilateral Digital Council, and the agreement between UPI and Pay-net paved the way for enhanced fintech collaboration.
