Daria Kashurina
8B, a Central Asian fintech infrastructure company, and PayU, India’s leading diversified fintech platform, have signed a strategic partnership to bring UPI, one of the world’s fastest-growing digital payment systems, and other Indian payment offerings to Central Asia. The integration of PayU’s APIs into 8B’s merchant network across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and the broader region enables users in India to make payments to merchants in Central Asia via UPI, net banking, and local cards. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in strengthening the digital payment infrastructures between the two economies.
What the Partnership enables for Tourists
India’s outbound tourism market reached $18.82 billion in travel expenditure in 2024 and is forecast to grow to $55.39 billion by 2034 (Source: FICCI–Nangia, “Navigating Horizons: The Rise and Future of Indian Outbound Tourism,” 2024). Central Asia sustained strong tourism growth in 2025 — with India consistently appearing among the top five source markets for Kazakhstan. Indian arrivals to Uzbekistan rose 22.7% in the first five months of 2025 (Source: Uzbekistan National Statistics Committee, July 2025). Kazakhstan received an estimated 250,000 Indian visitors in 2025, up from 146,000 in 2024. Uzbekistan welcomed 66,100 Indian tourists in 2025 alone.
Through the 8B–PayU integration, merchants across Central Asia can accept UPI payments directly from Indian tourists — using the same apps Indian consumers use at home. No new hardware. No parallel onboarding. Beyond UPI, merchants will also accept payments through Net Banking and Indian credit or debit cards including RuPay. In Kazakhstan, this is made possible through Zesta LLP, a locally licensed payment organisation, ensuring full regulatory compliance.
From Tourism to Trade
India is not only a source of tourists to Central Asia — it is an economy whose merchants and businesses are increasingly active in the region. India–Kazakhstan bilateral trade reached $923.3 million in 2025 (Source: Prime Minister of Kazakhstan’s Office, via Qazinform, February 2026). Central Asian businesses selling air tickets, digital services and digital goods will no longer face issues with Indian customers, who can now purchase without changing payment preferences.
“The India–Central Asia corridor is expanding faster than the existing payment infrastructure is able to support it. Enabling cross-border commerce to feel as intuitive as commerce at home not only improves the travel experience, but also creates a foundation for a broader commercial relationship.” — Bogdan Zadorozhny, Co-Founder & CIO, 8B
“Payments should not be a barrier for international travel or trade. Through our partnership with 8B, we are eliminating payment-related friction — making it effortless for Indian travellers to pay with UPI and other local methods across Central Asia.” — Nikhil Mehta, SVP Partnerships, PayU.
Central Asia’s Moment
Kazakhstan welcomed 15.7 million foreign visitors in the first nine months of 2025. Uzbekistan was ranked among the seven fastest-growing tourism destinations in the world by UN Tourism for 2025. Kyrgyzstan welcomed approximately 10 million visitors in 2025. The region has emerged. What it now requires is the payment infrastructure layer that matches the scale of the opportunity.
