Apple appears set to launch its long-awaited payment service in India next month, with reports indicating a cautious, phased rollout focusing on card payments initially, as the company navigates India’s dominant UPI ecosystem.
Apple Pay may finally be preparing for its long-awaited entry into India, with reports pointing to an October launch that would give Apple a foothold in one of the world’s biggest digital payments markets. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter that the company is getting ready to bring the service to India next month, while other reports have echoed a similar timeline.
The launch would be an important step for Apple, which first rolled out Apple Pay in the US in 2014 but has not made the service available in India until now. Reuters has reported that Axis Bank is expected to be the first major banking partner, with Apple preparing to support its credit cards at the outset. The company is also said to have been in discussions with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, although those agreements were not yet finalised.
One key question is whether Apple Pay will support India’s Unified Payments Interface, better known as UPI, from day one. Gurman said the service is expected to handle UPI as well as card payments, but Reuters’ reporting on Apple’s India plans did not mention UPI in the initial rollout. Other reports have suggested Apple may launch first with cards only and add UPI later, a more cautious approach in a market where UPI dominates everyday digital transactions.
If Apple does start with card-based payments, it would still enter a highly competitive market. India’s digital payments ecosystem is already crowded, and UPI has become the backbone of retail transactions. Apple has been in talks with banks and payment networks for months, according to earlier Bloomberg reporting, and the company appears to be taking a phased approach as it works to secure the partnerships needed for a wider rollout.
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