Apple Pay inches closer to India, but full launch still some distance away

Apple is in discussions with Indian regulators and banking partners to explore the introduction of Apple Pay in the country, with timelines likely extending into 2026. While speculation about an imminent launch has grown in recent weeks, people familiar with the matter caution that Apple Pay is not yet available for everyday domestic transactions in India.

At present, Apple Pay’s presence in India is limited to cross border payments. Several Indian payment gateways, including Razorpay and Cashfree, have enabled Apple Pay as a checkout option for international customers purchasing from Indian merchants. This allows overseas users with Apple Pay enabled cards to complete transactions on Indian ecommerce platforms, even though Indian users themselves cannot yet use the service locally.

For Indian consumers, this distinction is critical. Apple Pay does not currently support Indian debit or credit cards within the Wallet app, nor does it work for in store payments, metro travel, or QR code based transactions. Despite iPhones supporting near field communication hardware, the service remains inactive for domestic use due to regulatory and ecosystem constraints.

India’s payments landscape is dominated by the Unified Payments Interface, which operates under the oversight of the National Payments Corporation of India. Any domestic rollout of Apple Pay would require deep integration with NPCI systems, compliance with Reserve Bank of India data localisation rules, and alignment with existing payment rails. These factors have historically made India a challenging market for global wallet players.

There are, however, signs of incremental movement. Apple Pay has begun appearing more frequently as an accepted option for international bookings and services offered by Indian companies. Akasa Air recently became the first Indian airline to accept Apple Pay for international flight bookings, signalling growing backend readiness among Indian merchants for Apple’s payment platform.

Industry executives say Apple is likely to adopt a phased approach, beginning with cross border acceptance, followed by limited domestic pilots, before considering a wider rollout tied to Indian banks or UPI. Such an approach mirrors Apple’s cautious expansion strategy in other tightly regulated markets.

For now, Apple Pay’s arrival in India is best described as partial rather than imminent. While the groundwork is being laid, Indian iPhone users will still need to rely on UPI apps and traditional cards for daily payments, with Apple Pay’s tap to pay convenience remaining a promise for the future rather than a present reality.