8B and PayU have signed a strategic partnership to bring UPI 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 offers clear benefits, enabling users in India to make payments to merchants in Central Asia via UPI, net banking, and local cards.
UPI is one of the world’s fastest-growing digital payment systems.
8B is a Central Asian fintech infrastructure company. PayU is India’s leading diversified fintech platform.
"This collaboration marks a significant milestone in strengthening the digital payment infrastructures between the two economies, laying the first structural bridge for growing trade and tourism opportunities," 8B said in a media release.
Through the 8B–PayU API integration, merchants across Central Asia connected to 8B’s platform can accept UPI payments directly from Indian tourists - using the same apps and websites Indian consumers use for everything, from ordering street food to flight bookings at home.
The transaction will flow through the existing merchant infrastructure with UPI added as a payment rail.
Beyond the UPI infrastructure, merchants in Central Asia will also be able to accept payments through Net Banking and any Indian credit or debit cards on acquiring networks, including RuPay from Indian tourists.
In Kazakhstan, this is made possible through Zesta LLP, a locally licensed payment organisation (licence No. 02-23-179), ensuring full regulatory compliance for every transaction processed in the country.
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Bogdan Zadorozhnyi, Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer, 8B, said that the India–Central Asia corridor is moving faster than the rails, roads, and payment systems built to serve it. The Indian visitor landing in Almaty today comes with digital habits shaped by UPI.
"Asking them to navigate a different payment experience abroad creates unnecessary friction. This is about making cross-border commerce feel as effortless as commerce at home - opens the door to a broader commercial relationship in which tourism is only the starting point," Bogdan Zadorozhnyi said.
8B is a provider of cross-border QR payments for fintech, e-commerce and travel platforms. It coverage regions: Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.
