Apple Pay could launch in India by 2026, company in talks with ICICI, HDFC and Axis bank

Apple

• Apple in talks to launch Apple Pay in India by mid-2026
• Apple Pay may support both card payments and UPI in India
• Apple plans to increase sales and revenue with Apple Pay

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Apple may finally be getting ready to enter India’s crowded digital payments space. The company is currently in talks with major banks like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank, along with global payment networks Visa and Mastercard, to bring Apple Pay to the country.

According to Bloomberg report, Apple is aiming for a possible launch around mid-2026, although the timeline is not fixed yet. The discussions are still ongoing, but they suggest that the company is getting serious about rolling out its payment service in India.

If it launches, Apple Pay is expected to support both card payments and India’s widely used UPI system, or Unified Payments Interface. This is important because UPI dominates the digital payments space in India, allowing users to instantly send money, pay bills, and make purchases directly from their bank accounts.

Apple will be stepping into a highly competitive market. Platforms like Google Pay, PhonePe, Amazon Pay and Paytm already have a strong hold in the country, with millions of active users. This means Apple Pay will need to offer a smooth and reliable experience to stand out.

One advantage Apple may have is its focus on security and ease of use. Apple Pay uses Face ID or Touch ID for authentication, allowing users to approve payments quickly without needing one-time passwords. This could fit well with India’s recent move to allow biometric authentication for digital payments.

The potential launch also reflects Apple’s broader push to grow in India. While the company still has a relatively small share of the smartphone market—around 10%—it has been steadily expanding its presence. Apple has been increasing local manufacturing, opening new retail stores, and focusing more on Indian customers.

India is a key market for digital payments, with over 750 million smartphone users and affordable mobile data driving rapid adoption. For Apple, bringing Apple Pay to India is not just about payments—it could also help boost demand for its devices like iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, and Macs, where the feature is built in.

The move could also open up a new stream of services revenue for Apple, as the company typically earns a small fee from transactions made through Apple Pay.

At the same time, Apple has been strengthening its operations in India beyond just services. The company is increasingly using India as a manufacturing hub to export iPhones, reducing its reliance on China. It is also expanding its retail footprint, recently opening another store in Mumbai.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly highlighted India as a fast-growing market for the company. If Apple Pay launches as expected, it could become another important piece of Apple’s long-term strategy in the country.

For now, nothing is officially confirmed, but the ongoing talks suggest that Apple Pay in India may no longer be a question of “if,” but “when.”