India Discusses Linking Alipay+ to UPI for Overseas Digital Transactions

The Indian government and the Reserve Bank of India are holding discussions with Ant International on linking Alipay+ with India’s digital payments framework for cross-border transactions, as per Reuters report. The discussions are at an early stage and have not been formally announced. 

Use Case Limited to Overseas Payments 

The proposal would allow Indian users to make payments abroad using the Unified Payments Interface at merchants that already accept Alipay+. Officials said the linkage is being considered only for cross-border transactions and would not apply to domestic payments within India. 

Scale of the Platforms Involved 

UPI is the backbone of retail digital payments in India, handling close to 18 billion transactions a month. Alipay+ connects about 1.8 billion user accounts and works with over 150 million merchants across more than 100 markets, according to information on its website. 

Government Push to Take UPI Overseas 

Indian authorities have been exploring ways to extend UPI’s reach outside the country to support outbound travel and overseas payments by the Indian diaspora. Such arrangements are aimed at simplifying payments and reducing costs typically linked to international card usage. 

Previous App Bans 

India banned Alipay and several other Chinese apps in 2020 under the IT Act, citing concerns over sovereignty and security. Those bans continue, and no timeline has been indicated for a decision on the current talks. 

Read More: Union Budget 2026: UPI Incentives Raised Fivefold, Industry Unsatisfied; Paytm in Focus! 

Conclusion 

The discussions show ongoing plans to expand UPI’s cross-border use while retaining controls on security and foreign-linked payment platforms. 

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