India's UPI to link with Uzbekistan's QR system for hassle-free payments

During the 12th IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians held in Samarkand, Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha presented India's plan to link its Unified Payments Interface with Uzbekistan's UZQR QR-code system. The partnership will allow Indian visitors to make instant payments at Uzbek merchants without cash, using their bank accounts. Chadha used the occasion to underline India's digital rights framework, citing the Digital India Initiative launched in 2015 and the dramatic drop in data prices.

He cited UPI's growth from 90,000 transactions in its first month to over 240 billion in the 2025-26 financial year. The MP also mentioned recent Supreme Court rulings on privacy and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act as pillars of safety and opportunity for young people.