UPI users may have to wait: India yet to decide on China's Alipay+ integration

India is not expected to take an immediate decision on a proposed linkage between the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Ant International's Alipay+ network, with authorities continuing to assess various operational and security-related aspects of such an arrangement, according to people familiar with the matter.

Officials had held discussions with representatives of Alipay+ in recent months as part of broader efforts to explore cross-border digital payment options for Indian users, sources said.

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However, no decision has been taken so far, and there has been no significant movement on the proposal in recent weeks.

Any potential integration would require evaluation across multiple dimensions, including banking ecosystem preparedness, operational feasibility, and security considerations, people aware of the discussions said.

The proposal, if eventually implemented, could allow Indian travellers to make payments through UPI at merchants connected to the Alipay+ network across international markets.

Sources also indicated that no discussions have been held regarding a possible Apple Pay integration with India's digital payments ecosystem. While such possibilities may be examined in the future as digital payment frameworks evolve, neither proposal is currently under active consideration.

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India has been steadily expanding UPI's international footprint through partnerships with multiple countries and payment networks, while maintaining a cautious approach towards the security and resilience of its digital payments infrastructure.

Questions to PIB for clarification were sent on 11th June around noon, and no response was received at the time the story was published.