Indian travellers can now use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to make instant merchant payments in Uzbekistan, following a partnership between NPCI International and the National Interbank Processing Centre (NIPC), operator of the country’s HUMO payment system.
Under the agreement signed on August 30, Indian tourists, business travellers and students can scan Uzbekistan’s national interoperable UZQR codes through their existing UPI-enabled applications and pay merchants directly.
The initiative received approvals from the Reserve Bank of India and the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, which designated HUMO as NPCI International’s authorised partner for cross-border merchant acceptance.
UPI payments will be supported across retail, hospitality and service establishments, allowing Indian users to make person-to-merchant transactions directly from their Indian bank accounts. The system is expected to reduce reliance on cash and international cards while avoiding foreign exchange mark-ups.
The partnership also strengthens digital public infrastructure cooperation between India and Uzbekistan and forms part of the two countries’ broader economic and strategic engagement.
With Uzbekistan joining the expanding network, UPI is now accepted in 10 countries, including Singapore, the UAE, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Greece, giving Indian travellers greater convenience when making payments overseas.
