Apple Inc. Apple is in discussions with major banks and card networks to launch Pay in India, that too on UPI.
The iPhone maker is in talks with ICICI Bank Ltd., HDFC Bank Ltd. and Axis Bank Ltd. as it aims to launch its payments service in India around mid-2026, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The timeline remains fluid, but talks indicate a near launch.
Apple Pay in India is expected to support card-based payments as well as India’s state-backed Unified Payment Interface (UPI). Discussions are ongoing with Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc., the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Apple declined to comment. National Payments Corporation of India, which operates and manages UPI, did not respond to a request for comment. The banks, MasterCard and Visa did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
apple pay in india
The planned launch is another step in Apple’s expansion in the country of 1.4 billion people with a rapidly growing middle class. While the iPhone’s market share is still small in a segment dominated by Android devices, Apple’s growing manufacturing and retail presence in India has helped it make inroads.
Rival Alphabet Inc’s Google Pay and Walmart Inc’s PhonePe are among the global players already on UPI, along with domestic players like Paytm.
In late 2025, the Reserve Bank of India made new rules that allow biometric authentication such as fingerprint or facial recognition for digital payments. Indian authentication systems previously relied largely on one-time passwords sent via text message.
Apple Pay relies on Face ID or Touch ID to approve payments.
UPI in India
With over 750 million smartphone users on cheap mobile data and state-backed incentives, India is one of the world’s fastest growing digital payments markets, serving as a potential gateway for Apple to boost services revenues in the region. The company is known to take a cut of Apple Pay transactions.
Given the prevalence of mobile payments in the region, the Apple Pay launch could increase demand for its hardware. This feature is built into Apple Watches, iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Apple has consistently increased its market share in India’s smartphone sales to around 10%, leaving plenty of scope for further growth.
apple in india
Apple is also using India as a major production base to export iPhones to the US, diversifying its manufacturing footprint away from China. The move has helped protect customers in its domestic market from price increases caused by President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China.
Also, it is rapidly expanding its retail presence in India. It opened its sixth store in Mumbai this week. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has repeatedly said that sales in India are growing rapidly, making this market an important factor for its overall growth.