India stalls Alipay+ payments link over security and data concerns

India’s plan to connect its Unified Payments Interface with Alipay+, the cross-border payments network run by Ant International, has hit a wall. National security concerns, data protection worries, and the long shadow of India-China tensions have combined to stall what could have been one of the most significant cross-border payment integrations in Asia. The proposed link would have let Indian travelers pay at Alipay+ merchants abroad using UPI, their domestic payments system. Given that Alipay+ connects roughly 1.8 billion user accounts to more than 150 million merchants across over 100 markets, the upside was enormous. A deal that started with promise and ended with caution Conversations between Ant International and Indian authorities kicked off on February 2, 2026. The pitch was straightforward: let UPI, which already processes nearly 18 billion domestic transactions per month, extend its reach internationally through Alipay+’s sprawling merchant network. By June, though, it became clear that no quick resolution was coming. Indian officials emphasized the need for exhaustive reviews of banking preparedness and cybersecurity infrastructure before any integration could proceed. A...