In a potential breakthrough for international travel and trade, the Indian government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are currently in high-level discussions with Ant International to integrate the Alipay+ gateway with India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
The news, which surfaced on February 2, 2026, suggests that India is looking to leverage Alipay+’s massive global network to make cross-border transactions as seamless as domestic UPI scans.
1. What is the Proposed Deal?
The partnership aims to link India’s instant payment systems with the Singapore-based Alipay+ platform, which acts as a bridge between various digital wallets and millions of merchants worldwide.
- For Indian Travelers: If implemented, you would be able to use your preferred UPI app (like PhonePe, Google Pay, or BHIM) to pay at any international merchant that displays an Alipay+ QR code.
- Global Reach: Alipay+ currently connects over 1.8 billion user accounts and 150 million merchants across more than 100 markets, including popular destinations for Indians like Japan, South Korea, and the UAE.
- The “mada” Precedent: The talks follow similar successful integrations by Ant International with national payment schemes in Saudi Arabia (mada) and Bahrain (BENEFIT) earlier this year.
2. Why Alipay+ for India?
While the NPCI has been expanding UPI’s presence country-by-country (e.g., France, Singapore, Sri Lanka), a deal with Alipay+ would provide instant global scale.
- No More Currency Hassles: You would pay in Rupees (debited from your Indian bank account), while the merchant receives their local currency, with the exchange handled mid-transaction.
- Ease for Small Merchants: Many small businesses in Europe and Asia already have Alipay+ infrastructure. Instead of India signing individual deals with every small shop, the Alipay+ link provides a “universal key.”
- Lower Costs: By bypassing traditional credit card networks (Visa/Mastercard) and high forex markups, these transactions are expected to be significantly cheaper for tourists and SMBs.
3. Regulatory Hurdles & Security
Despite the benefits, the RBI is proceeding with caution due to the sensitive nature of financial data and geopolitical considerations:
- Data Localization: Under RBI’s strict 2026 guidelines, all payment data must be stored locally in India. Any cross-border link would need to ensure that Indian user data is not permanently stored on foreign servers.
- New 2FA Norms: The deal must align with the RBI’s New Digital Payment Rules (effective April 1, 2026), which mandate sophisticated two-factor authentication (2FA) beyond simple SMS OTPs.
- Security Scrutiny: Given Alipay+’s roots in China’s Ant Group, the Indian government is likely to perform deep “security audits” to ensure the financial plumbing is resilient against foreign interference.
4. India’s Digital Payment Roadmap 2026
The Alipay+ discussions are part of a broader “Digital Payments 2026” vision where India aims for a $10 trillion payment opportunity:
| Feature | Status in 2026 |
| UPI Acceptance | 10+ Countries (Japan trial starting 2026) |
| New Security | Transitioning from SMS OTP to Biometric/Tokenized 2FA |
| Volume Target | 19 Billion+ monthly transactions |
Conclusion: A Global UPI Era
If the government greenlights the Alipay+ integration, it will mark the most significant expansion of India’s fintech influence since the launch of UPI itself. It transforms the Indian smartphone from a domestic tool into a global financial passport. While the deal remains in the “discussion” phase, the strategic alignment suggests that by late 2026, “scanning to pay” could be as common in Tokyo or Paris as it is in Mumbai.
