Dubai/New Delhi, September 11: India on Tuesday unveiled a landmark initiative linking its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) Interconnection Platform, a move aimed at transforming cross-border remittances through the reach of postal networks and the speed of digital payments.
The announcement was made by Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at the 28th Universal Postal Congress in Dubai. The project, developed jointly by India’s Department of Posts, NPCI International Payments Ltd. and the UPU, was described by Scindia as “more than a technology launch, but a social compact.”
“The reliability of the postal network combined with the speed of UPI means families across borders can send money faster, safer and at much lower cost,” he said, calling the initiative an example of how public infrastructure can be linked across borders to “serve humanity better.”
Scindia also announced that India will commit $10 million during the current cycle to channel technology into innovation, particularly in e-commerce and digital payments. He said India would contest seats on the UPU’s Council of Administration and Postal Operations Council, underscoring its intention to play a larger role in shaping the global postal sector.
Outlining India’s vision, Scindia highlighted four pillars for modernising the postal system: connecting through data-driven logistics, including migrants and enterprises via affordable digital services, modernising with AI and machine learning, and cooperating through South–South partnerships.
Citing India’s own digital transformation, he noted that more than 560 million accounts, most in women’s names, have been opened under Aadhaar, Jan Dhan and India Post Payments Bank, while India Post delivered 900 million letters and parcels last year.
“India comes to you not with proposals, but with partnership,” Scindia told delegates, stressing the need for interoperable solutions that avoid costly fragmentation and build trust in linking payments, identity, addressing and logistics.
