Dubai: India has taken a major step in reshaping the global remittance landscape with the launch of the UPI-UPU Integration Project at the 28th Universal Postal Congress in Dubai. The initiative, inaugurated by Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, combines the power of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) vast global network to provide faster, safer, and more affordable cross-border money transfers.
The project is a joint effort between the Department of Posts, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), and the UPU. By linking UPI’s real-time digital payment system with the international postal financial network, India aims to enable millions of people, particularly migrants and their families, to send and receive money seamlessly through post offices worldwide.
As part of its commitment, India has pledged 10 million US dollars to support digital innovation in postal and financial services, with a focus on expanding e-commerce and digital payment systems globally. India has also put forward its candidatures for seats on the UPU’s Council of Administration and the Postal Operations Council, signaling its intent to play a leadership role in shaping global postal and financial cooperation.
The UPU network currently serves over 1.5 billion people through more than 663,000 postal contact points worldwide. Integrating UPI into this system is expected to significantly cut costs and reduce delays, while expanding financial inclusion in rural and underserved regions.
The move comes as part of India’s broader strategy to promote digital finance internationally. Recently, the UPI-PayNow link with Singapore was expanded to cover 19 Indian banks, strengthening real-time remittances between the two countries.
However, challenges remain within India itself. Reports indicate that some postal export centers still rely on cash-only transactions due to delays in upgrading IT infrastructure, highlighting the need for parallel efforts to strengthen domestic digitization.
The UPI-UPU collaboration represents a milestone in global financial connectivity, offering a model for how trusted postal networks and modern digital payment platforms can work together to create an inclusive and efficient remittance system. It positions India as a key driver of innovation in international financial services while reinforcing its vision of “Digital India” on the global stage.