Bhopal/London, August 30, 2026

A live digital-payment trial conducted in London has identified a key hurdle for foreign pilgrims planning to attend Simhastha Mahakumbh 2028 in Ujjain. Visitors can begin registering for a UPI wallet from abroad, but the final verification is completed only after they arrive in India.

Friends of Madhya Pradesh (FoMP) UK has now sought a controlled pilot for pre-departure verification and instant wallet activation after a pilgrim enters India. The proposal is aimed at NRIs, OCI cardholders and foreign passport holders who do not have an Indian bank account or mobile number.

The proposal forms part of a memorandum submitted to Kartik Pande, Deputy High Commissioner of India in London. It takes forward FoMP’s earlier request for special facilitation of overseas pilgrims travelling to Ujjain.

FoMP UK founder Rohit Dixit reportedly claimed that Simhastha was expected to attract a large number of overseas pilgrims following the efforts of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav and the state government. These visitors could include senior citizens, families travelling across generations and people visiting India for the first time.

FoMP tested the onboarding process in London through CheqUPI, a wallet operating within the UPI ecosystem. The group said registration, OTP verification through a UK mobile number and passport capture were completed successfully. However, the wallet could not receive final clearance without an immigration stamp confirming the user’s physical entry into India. The trial showed that complete activation before departure is not possible under the existing process.

UPI One World allows eligible international visitors to make merchant payments in India without opening a domestic bank account. Visitors can load money into the wallet through approved payment methods and scan merchant UPI QR codes for routine purchases.

The present process requires physical verification of the visitor’s passport and valid visa. The wallet is activated only after the verification is completed by an authorised issuer.

FoMP believes this requirement could create difficulties during Simhastha. Overseas pilgrims arriving in large numbers would already be managing immigration, baggage, transport and accommodation. Additional wallet verification could result in queues and greater dependence on cash.

Under the proposed pilot, identity-related checks would begin in the United Kingdom through an authorised issuing entity. The wallet would remain inactive before the journey and become operational only after the pilgrim’s entry into India is electronically confirmed. The visitor would then be able to use merchant UPI QR codes immediately after arrival. The facility could help in paying for taxis, food, medicines and other daily requirements.

FoMP has said eligible visitors should not be required to obtain an Indian mobile number or open a domestic, NRE or NRO bank account. The proposal would particularly benefit OCI cardholders without active Indian accounts and foreign-passport members of Indian-origin families.

The memorandum has also sought consideration of an operational limit of up to Rs 1 lakh for a category described as a “Fully Verified Simhastha Pilgrim”. FoMP has compared it with the Rs 50,000 threshold applied under the system tested by the organisation.

Any higher limit would be subject to Reserve Bank of India rules, risk evaluation and safeguards prescribed by the authorised issuer. RBI directions allow full-KYC prepaid instruments for foreign nationals and NRIs visiting India. However, issuers must follow KYC, anti-money laundering and other regulatory requirements.

FoMP has recommended the formation of a small implementation group involving the Indian High Commission, Ministry of External Affairs, Madhya Pradesh government and FoMP UK. It has also proposed the appointment of a nodal officer to coordinate technical discussions and delivery timelines.

The London trial has clearly identified the gap in the present system. If authorities find a secure way to verify pilgrims before departure and activate their wallets on arrival, overseas visitors could avoid long queues and begin using UPI soon after reaching India for Simhastha 2028.