New Delhi, August 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian tourists, business travellers and students can now make instant digital payments in Uzbekistan using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), following a new partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre (NIPC).
NIPL, the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), entered into a commercial agreement with NIPC, the operator of Uzbekistan’s national payment system HUMO, on August 30, according to a Finance Ministry statement issued on Monday.
The partnership allows Indian users to scan Uzbekistan’s national interoperable QR code, UZQR, through their existing UPI-enabled applications and make instant payments to merchants across the country.
The announcement came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral visit to Uzbekistan. The agreement follows approvals from financial regulators, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU), which designated HUMO as NIPL’s authorised partner for cross-border merchant acceptance.
Integration with the CBU-mandated Unified National QR infrastructure is expected to enable UPI users to make payments across a wide range of retail, hospitality and service establishments in Uzbekistan.
Indian travellers can make person-to-merchant (P2M) payments directly from their Indian bank accounts, reducing their dependence on cash and international cards while also easing foreign-exchange-related payment friction.
The initiative marks another step in expanding India’s digital public infrastructure and strengthening digital payments cooperation between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the Maldives became the ninth country to announce the successful integration of its Maldives Instant Payment System, ‘Favara’, with UPI. The service enables real-time transfers from the Maldives to beneficiaries in India, with transactions initiated in Maldivian Rufiyaa and credited in Indian Rupees through UPI.
According to the Finance Ministry, UPI is now accepted in 10 countries, including Singapore, the UAE, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Greece, allowing Indian travellers to make digital payments overseas.
FOLLOW NOW
