Apple Pay may launch in India next month: Report
Apple Pay could finally launch in India as early as October, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman said Apple is preparing to launch Apple Pay in India “finally” next month. The service is expected to support card payments, while there are also reports that Apple could bring UPI support to the platform. The service was first launched in the US in 2014.
Will Apple Pay support UPI in IndiaGurman said Apple Pay is expected to support UPI alongside card payments. UPI is India's widely used digital payments system and allows users to make instant payments through participating banks and apps. However, Reuters' recent report about Apple's India plans did not mention UPI as part of the initial rollout.
Earlier reports had also suggested that Apple Pay could initially launch without UPI, with support potentially added later.
According to Reuters, Axis Bank is expected to be Apple's first major banking partner when Apple Pay launches in India. Apple is reportedly preparing to support Axis Bank credit cards initially. The company is also in discussions with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, although commercial agreements with those lenders had not been finalised, according to the report.
Apple is expected to add more banks over time through separate agreements with lenders.
Apple Pay has been in talks with Indian banksApple has reportedly been discussing its India plans with several major banks and payment networks for months. A Bloomberg report in February said Apple was in talks with Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, as well as Visa and Mastercard. At the time, Apple Pay was expected to launch around the middle of 2026, but that timeline did not happen.
If the latest October timeline is accurate, Apple Pay could soon enter India's established digital payments market, initially with limited banking support before expanding to more lenders.
Will Apple Pay support UPI in IndiaGurman said Apple Pay is expected to support UPI alongside card payments. UPI is India's widely used digital payments system and allows users to make instant payments through participating banks and apps. However, Reuters' recent report about Apple's India plans did not mention UPI as part of the initial rollout.
Earlier reports had also suggested that Apple Pay could initially launch without UPI, with support potentially added later.
According to Reuters, Axis Bank is expected to be Apple's first major banking partner when Apple Pay launches in India. Apple is reportedly preparing to support Axis Bank credit cards initially. The company is also in discussions with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, although commercial agreements with those lenders had not been finalised, according to the report.
Apple is expected to add more banks over time through separate agreements with lenders.
Apple Pay has been in talks with Indian banksApple has reportedly been discussing its India plans with several major banks and payment networks for months. A Bloomberg report in February said Apple was in talks with Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, as well as Visa and Mastercard. At the time, Apple Pay was expected to launch around the middle of 2026, but that timeline did not happen.
If the latest October timeline is accurate, Apple Pay could soon enter India's established digital payments market, initially with limited banking support before expanding to more lenders.
Next Story