Apple Prepares India Pay Debut Next Month Beginning With Axis Bank

Apple is preparing to introduce Apple Pay in India next month, beginning with credit cards issued by Axis Bank in a phased entry into one of the world's largest untapped digital payments markets. Three sources familiar with the matter indicated that the initial rollout will rely on a single major banking partner before expanding support to additional domestic lenders over time through direct agreements.

The impending debut targets an expanding smartphone market in India, where Counterpoint Research data shows Apple's device share has doubled to eight percent since 2022. Although the service has expanded across major international economies, its introduction in India brings it into a fiercely competitive domestic payments landscape dominated by the home-grown Unified Payments Interface.

The initial launch with Axis Bank establishes a foothold for Apple Pay through the country's fourth-largest credit card issuer, which held 16.26 million active credit cards in July according to Reserve Bank of India statistics. Apple has also held parallel discussions with larger private sector competitors including HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, though those institutions have yet to agree on commercial terms.

Following the initial deployment with Axis Bank, Apple plans to incorporate additional lenders through direct, bank-by-bank arrangements mirroring rollout strategies utilized in other international jurisdictions. Representatives for Apple and HDFC Bank did not respond to requests for comment, while Axis Bank and ICICI Bank declined to comment on the negotiations.

The technical pathway for Apple Pay opened last year when the Reserve Bank of India permitted biometric authentication for card payments. That regulatory adjustment enables the payment service to function using Apple Face ID and Touch ID mechanisms with Indian bank cards, allowing users to make tap-and-pay transactions using tokenised card details stored on their devices without opening a separate application.

Apple Pay enters a crowded ecosystem where the Unified Payments Interface commands 84 percent of India's digital payments volume through QR codes, phone numbers, and tap-and-pay infrastructure. As the platform prepares for its October rollout, the initial integration with Axis Bank will test consumer adoption against established domestic digital payment rails.