Summary
Indonesia and India are in "very advanced" talks to connect their QR payment systems by the end of 2026, following a meeting between President Prabowo Subianto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jakarta on July 7. The integration would link Indonesia's QRIS system with India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), enabling tourists to pay in their respective currencies (rupiah or rupees) by scanning QR codes. Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakravorty confirmed the talks are at a "very advanced stage" and expressed hope for QRIS-UPI integration by year-end. Indians made up the third-largest group of foreign visitors to Indonesia (222,470 arrivals from January to May 2026). Indonesia has already connected QRIS with China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea.
Key Facts
- QRIS-UPI integration in "very advanced" talks
- Target: operational by end of 2026
- Enables tourists to pay in home currency via QR scan
- India: 222,470 visitors to Indonesia (Jan-May 2026), third-largest source market
- Indonesia's existing QRIS cross-border links: China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea
- Part of broader India-Indonesia cooperation including critical mineral deals
- Follows India's UPI links with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and other Asian markets
Why It Matters
The QRIS-UPI linkage would connect two of the world's largest real-time payment systems, covering a combined population of over 1.5 billion people. For India, it extends UPI's international footprint in Southeast Asia. For Indonesia, it adds the world's most populous country to QRIS's growing cross-border network. The integration supports the broader trend of Asian payment system interoperability, reducing reliance on card networks for cross-border transactions.