Dubai, September 8 – Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, today unveiled the UPI–UPU Integration project at the 28th Universal Postal Congress in Dubai, calling it a landmark step to transform cross-border remittances and expand financial inclusion worldwide.
The initiative, developed jointly by the Department of Posts, NPCI International Payments Limited and the Universal Postal Union (UPU), integrates India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the UPU Interconnection Platform, combining the reach of the postal network with the speed and affordability of UPI.
Calling it “more than a technology launch, but a social compact,” Scindia said the partnership would allow families across borders to transfer money instantly, securely and at lower cost, while reinforcing the postal sector’s role as a trusted provider of community services. The minister also announced that India will commit USD 10 million during this cycle to support innovation, e-commerce and digital payments, alongside training and capacity building. He confirmed India’s candidature for the UPU’s Council of Administration and Postal Operations Council, underscoring its commitment to building a connected, inclusive and sustainable global postal system.
Highlighting India’s inclusion model, he noted that Aadhaar, Jan Dhan and India Post Payments Bank have together enabled over 560 million bank accounts, most in women’s names, while India Post delivered more than 900 million letters and parcels last year. “This is the scale and spirit of inclusion we bring to the global stage,” he said.
The UPI-UPU integration, Scindia added, represents a transformative shift. UPI, India’s real-time payment solution, processed over 185 billion transactions worth USD 2.83 trillion in 2024–25, accounting for nearly half of the world’s digital payments. Once burdened with high fees and delays, millions of Indians can now remit money faster and cheaper, with UPI already accepted in markets as diverse as the Gulf and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Linking UPI to the UPU Interconnection Platform, he said, will make cross-border remittances “as simple as sending a text.”
For the Indian diaspora, the initiative promises instant and affordable transfers; for postal administrations, it offers new revenue streams and strengthens their community role. India views it as part of its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of reducing global remittance costs to below 3 percent by 2030.
“India comes to you not with proposals, but with partnership,” Scindia concluded. “We believe in resilience, enabling interoperable solutions that avoid costly fragmentation, and in trust, linking payments, identity, addressing and logistics so that global commerce becomes seamless.”
Masahiko Metoki, Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), praised India’s leadership in financial services, highlighting its role as Co-Chair of the Postal Operations Council and its significant contributions to international remittances. He congratulated the Government of India for its strong and consistent commitment to supporting UPU initiatives, underscoring New Delhi’s active role in strengthening global postal and financial networks.
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