Tools like UPI service for foreign delegates, RuPay payments, a database platform used to lend money will all be on display for foreign delegates during the G20 Summit

The digital public infrastructure arsenal of India will be on display for foreign delegates at the G20 Summit later this week. It includes the UPI service for foreign delegates without the need for a bank account, RuPay payments that can be made through accessories like smartwatches, India's digital rupee, and a database platform that can be used to lend money for various purposes.

Industry observers believe that this is India's attempt to position itself as a leader in digital governance, particularly given its ambitions to lead the Global South. This is also seen as a differentiator from rival China, which is supporting the construction of physical infrastructure in other emerging nations, in official circles.

Delegates will have access to an experience centre with an interactive demonstration of the RBI's Public Tech Platform (PTP) for frictionless credit at the RBI pavilion at the G20 Summit location. The portal acts as a single point of access to data about residents stored by several departments and ministries of the government. Lenders can connect to the platform to access the necessary data or information for an easy credit evaluation and conclusion. The platform was first focused on items like the Kisan Credit Card, dairy loans, collateral-free loans for MSMEs, personal loans, and house loans by the RBI, who had conducted a test of it in August.

The UPI platform, which has been one of India's most well-known pitches to the globe, including both developing and established countries, would also be available to foreign delegates. The option would be made available to G20 visitors without requiring them to have an Indian bank account, according to the RBI official.

Given that India is aggressively encouraging other nations to adopt the UPI design, this gains relevance. International markets including France, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Sri Lanka have adopted the service, while nations like Japan have expressed interest in doing the same.

The Bharat Bill Payment System, specifically for making cross-border payments for paying bills in India, is one of the options that New Delhi has devised for non-resident Indians. The system may be used to pay a number of bills, including those for electricity, water, gas, telephone, DTH, and insurance. Additionally, a demonstration of RuPay's on the go service, which enables customers to make contactless payments via apparel accessories like smartwatches and smart rings, will be presented. Delegates will also see a real transaction using the digital rupee, which is also a CBDC.