The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the State Bank of India (SBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Saturday to enhance digital payment services for users of the eMigrate portal.

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The agreement was signed by Joint Secretary OE and PGE (Overseas Employment and Protector General of Emigrants) Bramha Kumar, on behalf of the Ministry, and Neelesh Dwivedi, General Manager (NW-I) from SBI, at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in Delhi.

This MoU will become operational following the successful integration of SBI's payment gateway, SBIePay, with the eMigrate portal.

The integration of SBIePay with the eMigrate portal will allow Indian migrant workers, Recruiting Agents (RAs), and other users to make various emigration-related payments with ease.

This includes transactions via UPI, credit/debit cards, and NEFT through net banking of all Indian banks, all with no transaction charges.

"Signing of this MoU would further facilitate and enhance the ambit of safe and legal migration of Indian migrant workers" said the Ministry.

The eMigrate project, launched in 2014, was designed to support Indian workers heading to Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries for employment.

By making the emigration process online and transparent, it aimed to simplify and secure the migration experience.

The platform brought together Foreign Employers (FEs), registered RAs, and insurance companies offering the Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojna (PBBY) on a single platform, promoting seamless and legal migration processes.

Additionally, the portal includes a mechanism for the voluntary registration of emigrants holding ECNR (Emigration Check Not Required) category passports who are seeking employment overseas.

The collaboration between MEA and SBI through the SBIePay integration is a significant step forward in enhancing the digital payment infrastructure for the eMigrate portal.

By providing a cost-free, efficient, and secure method for handling emigration-related fees, the MoU not only streamlines the payment process but also strengthens the overall framework for safe and legal migration of Indian workers abroad.