Endava supports Nexus cross-border payments in Asia

By Parth Prabhudesai

Endava is playing a key role in designing the architecture behind Nexus, a cross-border payments initiative led by the Bank for International Settlements, aimed at linking domestic real-time payment systems across Asia.

The Nexus project seeks to connect payment networks in countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and India, allowing cross-border transfers to be as seamless as domestic account-to-account payments. Endava is working in collaboration with regional operators such as NETS in Singapore and PayNet in Malaysia to design the underlying system and build the cross-border switch that links these domestic rails.

The initiative comes as real-time payment systems in the region—such as PayNow, DuitNow, PromptPay, UPI, and InstaPay—have collectively reached over 700 million users. By integrating these systems, Nexus aims to simplify international transfers and eliminate the complexity of managing multiple bilateral payment connections.

Andrew McCormack, CEO of Nexus Global Payments, highlighted the impact of the project, stating: “The multi-lateral architecture implemented by Nexus removes the complexity associated with managing multiple bilateral links and provides an extensible platform that will give real-time payment users greater reach than ever before.”

Endava’s involvement focuses on leveraging advancements in AI-driven software engineering and cloud-based infrastructure to support the scalability and efficiency of the system. The initiative is also supported by global efforts to standardise payment messaging through ISO 20022, improving interoperability across financial institutions.

The push for Nexus aligns with the G20’s broader roadmap to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper, and more transparent. As adoption of digital payments continues to rise across Asia, the initiative is expected to significantly enhance the user experience for individuals and businesses making international transactions.

By enabling seamless cross-border payments, Nexus represents a major step forward in the evolution of global payment systems, driven by collaboration between technology providers, financial institutions, and policymakers.