India's UPI Launched in Uzbekistan

Why in the News?

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has signed a commercial agreement with Uzbekistan's national payment system, HUMO (National Interbank Processing Center JSC). This integration allows Indian tourists, business travelers, and students to make cross-border merchant payments in Uzbekistan by scanning UZQR codes using UPI apps.

Key Features / Major Points:

Instant QR Payments: Indian users can scan Uzbekistan's Unified National QR code (UZQR) using their existing UPI apps to perform Person-to-Merchant (P2M) transactions directly from their Indian bank accounts.

Global Reach: Uzbekistan joins countries like Singapore, UAE, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Greece where UPI service has been enabled.

Static GK Facts:

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI): Established: 2008 | Headquarters: Mumbai | MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI): Launched: April 11, 2016 (by NPCI).

Uzbekistan: Capital: Tashkent | Currency: Uzbekistani Som.

One-Liner Quiz (All Competitive Exams):

Q: In which Central Asian nation has India's UPI payment system been enabled via UZQR codes?

A: Uzbekistan

Q: Which international arm of NPCI partnered with Uzbekistan's HUMO payment system?

A: NIPL (NPCI International Payments Limited)

Q: What is the capital and currency of Uzbekistan?

A: Capital: Tashkent | Currency: Uzbekistani Som