India’s UPI Emerging as a Trusted International Payments Infrastructure

At the BRICS Business Forum’s Leaders Session in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the unprecedented reach of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). He revealed that roughly fifty percent of real‑time digital transactions worldwide now run on UPI, a testament to its scalability and security.

According to Modi, UPI has been pivotal in bringing millions of Indians into the formal financial system. The platform offers fast, low‑cost payments for small traders, startups, MSMEs and ordinary citizens, thereby boosting financial inclusion and supporting the digital economy.

Modi stressed that UPI is not merely an Indian achievement; it serves as a dependable public digital infrastructure for the global community. He linked this success to India’s broader BRICS chairmanship, which focuses on resilience, innovation, collaboration and sustainability—principles that have guided the nation’s economic agenda for over a decade.

The prime minister outlined India’s ongoing expansion of physical infrastructure—highways, railways, ports and airports—alongside strategic investments in semiconductor manufacturing, quantum technologies, critical minerals and biotechnology. These efforts, he said, reinforce India’s position as a reliable partner for worldwide development and stability.

In an era of rising trade barriers, India is acting as a bridge, having signed free‑trade agreements with about 40 countries since 2014. During its BRICS tenure, India has introduced initiatives such as the BRICS Incubator Network, a dedicated MSME portal and a startup innovation fund to connect entrepreneurs with markets and capital.

Modi appealed to industry leaders to maximise the benefits of these collaborative platforms, urging stronger investment, technology transfer and talent exchange across BRICS members.