India Plans to Expand UPI's Global Presence with Focus on East Asia

India is working to expand the global reach of its Unified Payments Interface (UPI), currently accepted in eight countries, with a focus on East Asia, according to Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju. UPI accounts for about half of global real-time digital transactions, with over 21 billion transactions recorded in December 2025. Reserve Bank Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar highlighted UPI's potential to grow from 400 million to 1 billion users, enhancing financial inclusion and economic growth. Challenges include regulatory oversight of digital financial activities and the need to support micro-enterprises' growth.