Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, unveiled the UPI–UPU Integration initiative at the 28th Universal Postal Congress in Dubai. The project is designed to reshape international remittances by merging India’s digital payment system with the global postal network.
About the UPI–UPU Project
The integration has been jointly developed by the Department of Posts (DoP), NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), and the Universal Postal Union (UPU). It connects Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the UPU Interconnection Platform (IP), combining the scale of postal services with the speed and affordability of digital payments.
Calling the initiative “a social compact rather than just a technology launch,” Shri Scindia emphasized that linking UPI with the postal network enables families to transfer money internationally with greater speed, safety, and reduced costs.
India’s Four-Pillar Postal Vision
The Minister outlined India’s postal sector roadmap around four key goals:
- Connect: Expand seamless, data-driven logistics.
- Include: Provide affordable financial services to migrants and small enterprises.
- Modernise: Adopt AI, DigiPIN, and machine learning.
- Cooperate: Strengthen partnerships through a UPU-supported technical cell.
Digital India and Scale of India Post
Pointing to progress under Digital India and the drive towards Viksit Bharat, Shri Scindia highlighted:
- More than 560 million accounts have been opened through Aadhaar, Jan Dhan, and India Post Payments Bank, with women holding the majority.
- India Post delivered in excess of 900 million parcels and letters.
He said this scale shows how India combines digital reach with inclusivity and now aims to extend the same model globally.
Investment and Global Role
Shri Scindia announced that India will allocate USD 10 million during the current cycle to drive technology-led innovation, focusing on e-commerce and digital payments.
He also declared India’s candidature for the Council of Administration and the Postal Operations Council of the UPU, reaffirming India’s intent to support a connected and sustainable global postal framework.
Concluding his remarks, 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.