Unified Payments Interface expands to Uzbekistan, becoming the 11th country to adopt the platform

NEW DELHI — The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is now live in Uzbekistan, making it the 11th country to accept payments through the Indian digital payment platform. The development follows a commercial agreement signed between NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) and Uzbekistan's National Interbank Processing Centre JSC (NIPC) on August 30, 2026.

The agreement was announced during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Uzbekistan, according to a finance ministry statement. The partnership brings together NIPL—the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India—and NIPC, which operates Uzbekistan’s national payment system, HUMO.

The execution of the agreement follows formal approvals from financial regulators, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU). The Central Bank of Uzbekistan designated HUMO as NIPL’s authorised partner for cross-border merchant acceptance.

Through this integration with the CBU's mandated Unified National QR infrastructure, known as UZQR, UPI users gain near-universal acceptance across retail, hospitality, and service merchants throughout Uzbekistan.

The system allows Indian tourists, business travellers, and students to make direct person-to-merchant (P2M) payments using their familiar UPI-enabled applications from their Indian bank accounts. According to the ministry, this mechanism eliminates foreign exchange markup friction and reduces reliance on international cards or cash.

The finance ministry stated that the initiative advances digital public infrastructure cooperation and aligns with the broader strategic and economic goals of both nations. With this latest addition, UPI's international footprint now spans 11 countries, joining Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Greece.

"The expansion of UPI into Uzbekistan highlights the growing global acceptance of India's robust digital public infrastructure. By enabling direct cross-border person-to-merchant payments through standard QR codes like UZQR, this partnership removes traditional foreign exchange friction for Indian travellers, business people, and students. As UPI's international footprint extends to its 11th country, it sets a strong precedent for cross-border digital financial cooperation and creates smoother transaction pathways for international trade and tourism." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes