Apple Pay may finally be coming to India. Apple is preparing to launch the contactless payment service in the country next month, beginning with Axis Bank credit cards, according to Reuters sources familiar with the plans.
Axis Bank could be the first partner
The reported rollout would begin with Axis Bank, India’s fourth-largest credit card issuer. Reuters says Apple has also held discussions with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, although agreements with those banks had not been finalized.
How Apple Pay works
Apple Pay lets users add eligible cards to Apple Wallet and make contactless payments with an iPhone or Apple Watch. Instead of handing the merchant the actual card number, the system uses tokenized payment credentials.
India is a very different payments market
Apple will be entering a market where UPI already dominates digital payments. Reuters reports that UPI accounts for about 84% of India’s digital transaction volume. That means Apple Pay is unlikely to replace the payment habits of most users overnight.
The initial focus on credit cards could instead make Apple Pay an additional tap-to-pay option for iPhone owners, especially at physical payment terminals.
Not officially confirmed yet
The reported October launch is based on unnamed sources and should not be treated as an official Apple announcement. Apple and the banks could still change timing, supported cards or other details before launch.
If the rollout proceeds, India would close one of the biggest remaining gaps in Apple Pay’s international coverage.
Source: Reuters, September 18, 2026.