MasterCard and the state government of Gujarat have signed a MoU to speed the adoption of electronic payment processes, including mobile payments, across both public and private sectors.

The aim is to benefit not just local consumers and the state’s own internal processes but promote digital payments to tourists and on the state’s public transit services.

One of the schemes planned is a mobile-based solution for the transfer of government benefits to recipients. Also, the government and MasterCard want to introduce a common transit card for travellers on the metro, as well as state and city buses.

The MoU builds on a recent investment by MasterCard in Gujarat to establish a Mobile Solutions Center of Excellence in the city of Vadodara.

Based on work carried out by MasterCard-owned C-SAM, the center’s brief is to provide innovations that can be integrated with MasterCard’s own solutions and delivered to service providers globally.