Apple in talks with major Indian banks to bring Apple Pay to India

By Cygnus | 26 Feb 2026

A smartphone used for a contactless payment at a retail store, reflecting Apple’s reported plans to expand its digital payments service to India. (AI generated)

Summary

Apple is discussing partnerships with leading Indian lenders as it explores launching Apple Pay in the country, a move that would mark its entry into one of the world’s fastest-growing digital payments markets.

MUMBAI/CUPERTINO, Feb. 26, 2026 — Apple is in discussions with several top Indian banks, including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank, as it considers launching its mobile payments service in India, according to a Bloomberg News report.

If talks progress, the company could introduce its Apple Pay platform in the country around mid-2026, though timelines and features have not been finalized.

Entering a fast-growing payments market

India’s digital payments sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, led by the success of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which enables real-time bank-to-bank transfers.

For Apple, entering the market would represent an effort to deepen its ecosystem and capture more value from its growing iPhone user base in the country.

Potential integration challenges

Unlike many global markets where Apple Pay relies primarily on NFC-based card payments, India’s payments landscape is heavily shaped by UPI.

Industry observers say any launch may require partnerships with local banks and possible integration with domestic payment infrastructure to ensure broad acceptance.

Strategic context

Apple has been steadily expanding its presence in India through increased manufacturing and rising device sales. A payments service would complement its broader strategy of building recurring services revenue alongside hardware growth.

Neither Apple nor the banks involved have publicly confirmed the discussions.

Why this matters

A potential Apple Pay launch could intensify competition in India’s already crowded digital payments market and signal further localization of global fintech services.

For banks and merchants, it could open new customer engagement channels, while consumers may benefit from additional payment options integrated into Apple’s ecosystem.