Indonesia's flagship digital payment system, QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard), is now preparing to expand into the Indian market. The Indonesian government, through President Prabowo Subianto, has confirmed that technical discussions regarding the QR-based cross-border payment system between Indonesia and India are in their final stages.
This agreement emerged during a bilateral meeting between President Prabowo and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Once completed, India will become the next strategic country to adopt QRIS, facilitating transaction access for tourists and business players from both highly populated nations.
Since its launch by Bank Indonesia in 2019, QRIS has transformed from a domestic payment instrument into a highly active cross-border financial infrastructure. As of mid-2026, the system has been used by more than 30 million merchants and 45 million active users across Indonesia, proving its massive inclusivity.
The success of QRIS in unifying various payment channels into a single national standard has now become a benchmark for neighboring countries. In addition to being connected with various countries in the ASEAN region such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, and Brunei Darussalam, the QRIS model is also being adopted by foreign financial authorities. Bank Negara Malaysia, for example, is reportedly starting to implement similar standardization to replace closed QR systems to achieve efficiency equivalent to the concept championed by Indonesia.
With its expanding reach and international recognition, QRIS now functions as more than just a domestic transaction tool. This technology has become a national pride asset that places Indonesia among the leaders of modern digital payment system innovation in Asia.
