India and Uzbekistan have taken the first step toward connecting their digital payment systems. According to CBI George, Secretary (West) of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, an agreement has been reached between India's payment operator and the Uzbek payment system Humo.
This agreement will allow tourists from India to use UPI-supporting applications in Uzbekistan. The statement was made during a press briefing following the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Uzbekistan.
As George reported, an agreement was recently signed between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international division of India's digital payment ecosystem, and the Humo Uzbekistan payment system. He emphasized that this is a significant start toward increasing the compatibility of the two countries' payment ecosystems.
The implementation of this agreement is expected to take about a year, after which Indian travelers will be able to use UPI-supported applications when visiting Uzbekistan. The diplomat noted that this agreement fits into broader efforts to expand banking cooperation and payment infrastructure amid the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Furthermore, this initiative is linked to the parties' agreements on reducing trade barriers and developing more efficient regional supply chains. According to George, the introduction of such interaction mechanisms will reduce the dependence of Indian tourists on cash, currency exchange, or international cards while traveling in Uzbekistan.