India and Singapore have announced the launch of a real-time payment systems linkage, featuring a non-bank financial institution, to help facilitate remittance of money between the two countries. On Tuesday, India and Singapore launched a real-time linkage between their respective payments systems, the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and PayNow, and Liquid Group (a non-bank financial institution). This is the world's first real-time payment systems linkage featuring a non-bank financial institution as a participant.
The linkage between India and Singapore's payments systems, called the PayNow-UPI Linkage, will enable persons in India and Singapore to remit money between the two countries in real-time. The PayNow-UPI Linkage is the result of a collaboration between DBS Singapore and Liquid Group (a non-bank financial institution). More number of banks will be included in the linkage over time.
The link between India and Singapore's payments systems is the latest in a number of initiatives to facilitate cross-border payments. Previous research on this subject has determined a linkage between the adoption of new payment systems and the level of financial inclusion in a society. This linkage will enable persons in India and Singapore to remit money between the two countries in real-time, reducing the time and cost associated with existing cross-border payments.