Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, has unveiled the UPI-UPU Integration initiative at the 28th Universal Postal Congress in Dubai. This landmark project is expected to transform international remittances by merging India’s robust digital payments ecosystem with the global postal network.
About the UPI-UPU Project
The initiative is jointly developed by the Department of Posts (DoP), NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), and the Universal Postal Union (UPU). It connects India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the UPU Interconnection Platform (IP), leveraging the scale of postal services with the speed and affordability of digital payments.
Calling it “a social compact rather than just a technology launch”, Shri Scindia stressed that this integration will help families transfer money internationally with greater speed, safety, and reduced costs.
Shri Scindia highlighted a roadmap built on four pillars:
- Connect: Expanding seamless, data-driven logistics.
- Include: Offering affordable financial services to migrants and small enterprises.
- Modernise: Adopting AI, DigiPIN, and machine learning.
- Cooperate: Strengthening partnerships via a UPU-supported technical cell.
The Minister pointed to India’s achievements under Digital India and Viksit Bharat:
- 560+ million accounts opened through Aadhaar, Jan Dhan, and India Post Payments Bank, with women holding the majority.
- 900+ million parcels and letters delivered by India Post.
This demonstrates India’s ability to combine digital reach with inclusivity, a model the country now aims to extend globally.
India will invest US$10 million in this cycle to accelerate technology-led innovation in e-commerce and digital payments. Additionally, Shri Scindia announced India’s candidature for the Council of Administration and Postal Operations Council of the UPU, reaffirming its role in building a connected and sustainable global postal framework.
Shri Scindia said, “India comes not with proposals, but with partnership. We believe in resilience, in interoperable solutions that prevent fragmentation, and in trust – linking payments, identity, addressing, and logistics to make global commerce seamless.”
