Apple launches Apple Pay in India
After months of rumor, Apple today finally launched Apple Pay in India with Axis Bank. That’s in line with expectation of an October start.
Apple Pay is available for users in India across iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, with support for Mac coming soon. Customers with Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards can add their cards to Apple Pay and use them.
Apple is reportedly in discussions with other Indian banks like HDFC and ICICI to expand the service.
What Apple said
“India is home to a dynamic and digitally savvy population that continues to embrace a cashless future while expecting the highest standards of security and privacy, and we’re so excited to bring Apple Pay to users in India today,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
“Apple Pay makes everyday payments with a card easy, secure, and private — from simply tapping to pay in stores without an extra app, PIN, or OTP to checking out online without repeatedly entering payment information.”
What Apple’s banking partners in India said
The news matters because Apple Pay is already far and away the leading mobile payment system outside China (where Alipay and WeChat Pay rule the roost), which means there’s a very good chance it will seize a decent slice of digital payments in India once it launches.
India’s digital payments market was worth about $6.83 billion in 2025 and is expected to exceed $33 billion by 2034.
“We are at a significant inflection point in payments, where technology, security and changing customer expectations are reshaping how people transact. At Axis Bank, our aspiration is to remain at the forefront of this transformation by building payment experiences that are progressive, trusted and deeply relevant to our customers,” said Amitabh Chaudhry, MD & CEO, Axis Bank.
“As payments become increasingly embedded in customers’ everyday digital lives, our focus is on bringing together innovation and trust, while making every interaction more intuitive and relevant. More importantly, this reflects our vision of a more connected and sophisticated payments ecosystem, where technology enables convenience and confidence in every transaction.”
“As India’s digital economy accelerates and consumers seek seamless and secure payment experiences, the introduction of Apple Pay for our Axis Bank-issued Mastercard credit card holders ushers in a new era of contactless commerce, giving Indian consumers greater confidence and peace of mind with every transaction,” said Gautam Aggarwal, Mastercard’s president of India and South Asia.
“With Mastercard’s tokenization technology, every Apple Pay transaction is protected by a unique, cryptographically secured token, ensuring card details are never shared with merchants, safeguarding consumers against fraud.”
“The launch of Apple Pay in India marks an important milestone in the evolution of the country’s digital payments journey,” said Suresh Sethi, Visa’s group country manager of India and South Asia.
“By bringing together Apple’s intuitive consumer experience with Visa’s trusted global network and tokenisation capabilities, Apple Pay brings consumers in India a simpler, safer, and more seamless way to pay. Together, we are expanding consumer choice and helping shape the next generation of commerce in India.”
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