The Indian government is working to expand the global presence of the Unified Payments Interface, with a strong focus on East Asia, as it aims to make its digital payments system a worldwide standard.
Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju said at the Global Inclusive Finance India Summit that India has already started extending UPI to international markets and plans to speed up this expansion.
UPI is currently operational in eight countries including Bhutan, Singapore, Qatar, Mauritius, Nepal, the UAE, Sri Lanka and France. This allows Indian travellers to make digital payments easily while abroad. “We have expanded to some countries and are trying to take it to many more. Right now, our focus is especially on East Asia,” Nagaraju said.
India now accounts for nearly half of all global real time digital transactions, largely due to the rapid adoption of UPI. In December 2025 alone, UPI recorded more than 21 billion transactions, showing its deep reach among users and merchants.
Nagaraju linked this growth to the success of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. Since 2014, over 530 million bank accounts have been opened, with 72 percent in rural and semi urban areas. Women hold 56 percent of these accounts. Deposits under the scheme have reached Rs 2.29 lakh crore, making it the largest financial inclusion programme in the world.
The government is also using this digital network to expand access to credit and insurance. Under the Mudra scheme, more than 563 million loans worth nearly Rs 38 lakh crore have been approved since 2015, with two thirds going to women entrepreneurs. About six lakh banking correspondents continue to provide basic financial services across the country.
Nagaraju said inclusion must lead to long term growth. He highlighted the need to help small businesses grow through better market access, higher productivity and technology use. He also stressed the importance of updating KYC records, improving financial literacy and strengthening cybersecurity.
He outlined a three part approach based on financial inclusion, financial literacy and financial security. Along with the global expansion of UPI, he said this model can position India as a leader in digital public infrastructure.
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