UPI In Uzbekistan: Indian Travellers May Soon Be Able To Pay Using UPI Apps

Indian travellers visiting Uzbekistan may soon be able to make merchant payments using their existing Unified Payments Interface (UPI) apps, as the digital payment system is set to be introduced in the Central Asian country.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced the development after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day official visit to Tashkent. MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George has highlighted that the UPI rollout is one of the key outcomes of the visit.

According to a PTI report, NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) and Uzbekistan's National Interbank Processing Centre JSC have entered into a commercial arrangement for the rollout. The agreement will allow Indian UPI apps to scan UZQR, Uzbekistan's national QR payment system, for merchant transactions.

How UPI Could Help Indian Travellers

Once the facility becomes operational, Indian tourists could use participating UPI apps to pay merchants in Uzbekistan instead of depending only on cash or international cards.

The payments would be made through the user's linked Indian bank account. This could also give travellers a digital record of their transactions, making it easier to monitor spending during their trip.

UPI's international acceptance is also aimed at reducing dependence on conventional card-based payment networks. International card transactions can involve foreign exchange conversion and other charges, although the actual cost for a traveller will depend on the participating bank, app and payment arrangement.

The facility will not necessarily be available at every merchant. Travellers will need to check which merchants accept UPI and whether their UPI app supports international payments when the service goes live.

UPI Deal Comes Amid Wider India-Uzbekistan Ties

The payment agreement is part of a broader set of deals signed during Modi's visit.

India and Uzbekistan have entered into a comprehensive strategic partnership and have set a target of USD 5 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2030, PTI reported.

The two countries have signed 11 agreements covering areas such as trade, investment, infrastructure, mining, critical minerals, defence and security, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, information technology, digital public infrastructure, culture, tourism and education.

A separate Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed in the mining sector, with cooperation planned around critical minerals, including uranium.

George also highlighted infrastructure as an area where Indian companies are expanding their presence in Uzbekistan.

Modi, in a statement, described Uzbekistan as an important part of India's engagement with Central Asia and linked stronger bilateral ties with wider economic and regional cooperation.

Where UPI Is Already Available Overseas

UPI merchant payments are already available in Bhutan, Singapore, the UAE, France, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Qatar and Cambodia. Person-to-person UPI payments are also available through arrangements in Singapore, Greece and Nepal.