Uzbekistan becomes the newest country to roll out India's digital payments system after a landmark visit by PM Modi to Tashkent, which also produced 11 agreements spanning trade, minerals, defence and digital infrastructure.
Uzbekistan is set to become the latest country to adopt India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day official visit to Tashkent.
Briefing reporters on the outcomes of the trip, MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George said the UPI rollout was among the key deliverables of the visit, describing it as part of the broader push to extend Indian digital infrastructure abroad and deepen bilateral digital transactions.
According to reports, NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) has entered into a commercial agreement with Uzbekistan's National Interbank Processing Centre JSC. The tie-up will allow Indian UPI applications to scan Uzbekistan's national QR code system, UZQR, enabling merchant payments across the Central Asian nation.
George also confirmed that the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on mining cooperation, targeting critical minerals including uranium, while noting that Indian companies are increasingly expanding their presence in Uzbekistan's infrastructure sector.
Strategic partnership targets $5 billion in trade
India and Uzbekistan formally elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership on Sunday, with both sides agreeing to a target of $5 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2030, as per reports, citing talks between Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The two nations signed 11 agreements in total, covering trade and investment, infrastructure, critical minerals and mining, defence and security, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and health, information technology, digital public infrastructure (including UPI), culture, tourism and education.
Modi described Uzbekistan as central to India's regional outreach, saying a stronger partnership between the two nations would support peace and economic progress across Central Asia.
What UPI abroad means for Indian travellers
UPI's international rollout allows Indian tourists, students and business travellers to make instant, secure payments while abroad, typically at a fraction of the cost of conventional cross-border transfers, which often carry card network fees and forex markups.
The system also enables cash-free travel, letting users pay directly from linked Indian bank accounts through familiar UPI apps rather than carrying foreign currency or relying solely on international debit and credit cards. Payments settle near-instantly, without the delays associated with traditional cross-border payment networks, and transactions can be tracked in real time through linked accounts.
With Uzbekistan's addition, the list of countries offering UPI acceptance continues to expand, a trend industry watchers say increasingly benefits India's large outbound travel and student population by giving them a familiar, low-cost payment option overseas.
