US based tech giant Apple has is planning to launch Apple pay in India after a decade since its global launch. As per the report, the company is in talks with major Indian banks and online payment companies to introduce its contactless payment service in India. It is expected that the company will roll out the feature in mid-2026.
Apple Pay was first launched in the United States in September 2014 and later it was expanded to many global markets. However, India which is now one of the world’s largest digital payments ecosystems, has so far remained outside its footprint.
Collaboration With Indian Banks and UPI
The media reports suggest that the company is in discussions with the leading financial institutions like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Axis Bank. The company is also said to be negotiating with global card networks like Visa and Mastercard regarding fee structure and transaction partnerships.
The experts claimed that the payment service from the tech giant will arrive in India by late 2025, but somehow it did not turn to be true. As per latest reports and fresh development, the company may fast track the process and roll out the service in mid-2026.
Many reports also claim that Apple pay will initially support credit and debit card based contactless payments. Integration with Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is expected to follow.
The digi–payment service is likely to support UPI via National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) which will operate the digital payment of Indian infrastructure under the regulation of the RBI.
Digital Payment Market In India
India is a highly competitive market which is dominated by number of homegrown and global players like BHIM UPI, PhonePe, Amazon Pay and Google Pay, etc.
India has strongly adopted the UPI-based transactions that present both an opportunity and a challenge for Apple as it is gearing up to expand its ecosystem in India.
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
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