Apple Pay in India is Coming: Apple in Talks with Major Indian Banks

Apple is aggressively accelerating its financial services footprint in South Asia, reportedly engaging in advanced discussions with top-tier financial institutions to introduce Apple Pay in India. Expected to roll out by the middle of 2026, this strategic move aims to capture a significant slice of one of the world’s most dynamic and rapidly growing digital payment markets.

Strategic Partnerships and UPI Integration

According to industry insiders citing Bloomberg, the Cupertino-based tech giant is currently negotiating with major banking partners, including ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Axis Bank. These talks, which corroborate earlier reports from the Business Standard and The Times of India, highlight the company’s commitment to building a robust local infrastructure.

To ensure seamless transaction processing, Apple is also consulting with global payment networks Mastercard and Visa. Crucially, the highly anticipated debut of Apple Pay in India is projected to fully integrate with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). This state-backed system currently dominates the local financial landscape, enabling millions of users to execute instant money transfers and bill payments with ease.

Navigating Regulatory Shifts

While Apple’s digital wallet launched over a decade ago and currently operates in 89 markets globally, its Indian entry was previously delayed by strict local regulations. However, a recent policy shift by India’s central bank has paved the way for modern payment ecosystems.

Late last year, regulators officially approved the use of biometric authentication—such as Apple’s Touch ID and Face ID—for digital transactions. This marks a monumental departure from the country’s traditional reliance on SMS-based one-time passwords (OTPs), creating an environment perfectly suited for Apple’s secure, hardware-integrated payment methods.

Capitalizing on Market Momentum

The timing of this financial rollout aligns perfectly with Apple’s surging hardware success in the region. The company is currently riding a wave of unprecedented momentum:

• Record Shipments: Recent data from IDC reveals that during the third quarter of 2025, Apple achieved record-breaking quarterly shipments of 5 million units in the country.
• Market Position: This surge in sales propelled Apple to fourth place in the overall regional smartphone market for the very first time.
• Retail Expansion: Complementing its hardware and software push, the company is aggressively expanding its physical retail footprint, with a sixth brick-and-mortar store slated to open in Mumbai this Thursday.

By combining its growing premium hardware user base with localized financial services, Apple is positioning itself to become a major player in India’s digital economy.