India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is set to expand into Uzbekistan following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s August 29–30 state visit to Tashkent, where India and Uzbekistan agreed to deepen cooperation in digital public infrastructure, trade, investment and technology.
A commercial agreement between NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) and Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre (NIPC) will enable Indian UPI apps to scan Uzbekistan’s national UZQR codes for merchant payments. The development is part of a wider effort by Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to elevate bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and make economic and digital cooperation more accessible to businesses and citizens.
Payments Go Global
Under the new arrangement, users of participating Indian UPI apps will be able to make merchant payments in Uzbekistan by scanning the country’s UZQR, its national QR payment system. The agreement was signed between NIPL, the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India, and NIPC, which operates Uzbekistan’s national payment infrastructure.
The move could make everyday transactions simpler for Indian travellers, students and business visitors while also strengthening payment links between the two countries. For Uzbek merchants, integration with India’s widely used digital payment ecosystem could potentially make it easier to serve Indian visitors and businesses.
The UPI agreement was among several outcomes announced after Modi and Mirziyoyev held official talks in Tashkent. The discussions covered digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, trade, investment, defence, healthcare, education, tourism, critical minerals and energy. The two leaders described their discussions as taking place in a “warm, friendly and constructive atmosphere” and agreed to deepen cooperation for the long term.
Beyond Digital Payments
The UPI development comes as India and Uzbekistan seek to broaden their economic relationship. The two countries have agreed to work towards increasing bilateral trade to more than $5 billion by 2030, while exploring greater cooperation in e-commerce, digitalising trade procedures and using digital platforms to support small and medium-sized enterprises.
The partnership is also expanding beyond technology. India and Uzbekistan signed or announced agreements covering cultural exchanges, tourism, higher education, traditional medicine, environmental protection, geological resources and economic and financial dialogue. India also announced a $1 million grant for afforestation in the Aral Sea region and 100 Lal Bahadur Shastri scholarships for Hindi language studies. Cooperation was also announced for the conservation and restoration of ancient Buddhist sites at Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa in Termez.
PM Modi said the visit had produced key outcomes including the elevation of India-Uzbekistan ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The joint statement noted that both sides want to deepen cooperation in digital transformation, IT, AI, space and cybersecurity alongside trade, healthcare, education, energy and food security.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Digital infrastructure can be more than a technological achievement—it can become a bridge connecting people, businesses and communities across borders. The expansion of UPI into Uzbekistan shows how practical cooperation can strengthen relationships between two countries while making cross-border interactions easier for ordinary people. At the same time, such partnerships should remain focused on accessibility, security, affordability and genuine benefits for citizens on both sides.
As India and Uzbekistan deepen their ties, can technology-led cooperation become a stronger foundation for greater people-to-people understanding and shared prosperity?
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विदेश मंत्रालय के सचिव (पश्चिम) सिबी जॉर्ज ने कहा कि उज़्बेकिस्तान में UPI का रोलआउट भारत के डिजिटल इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर के वैश्विक विस्तार को दर्शाता है। इससे दोनों देशों के बीच डिजिटल लेनदेन को बढ़ावा मिलेगा।
— PB-SHABD (@PBSHABD) August 30, 2026
उन्होंने बताया कि खनन क्षेत्र में एक MoU पर हस्ताक्षर किए गए हैं, जो… pic.twitter.com/aAJvMQo0kW
