Global: Apple has launched its Apple Pay payment service in India for the first time, entering one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing digital payments markets.
Apple Pay Partners with Axis Bank
The service has been introduced through a partnership with Axis Bank, India’s third-largest private lender.
Axis Bank customers can add eligible credit cards to Apple Wallet and use their iPhones or Apple Watches to make payments at thousands of participating in-store and online merchants across India.
Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said the company was excited to bring the service to India, describing the country as having a digitally savvy population that continues to move towards a cashless future.
UPI Dominates India’s Digital Payments
Apple Pay is entering a market where more than 80 per cent of digital payments are processed through the homegrown Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
According to the International Monetary Fund, UPI is the world’s largest real-time payment system by transaction volume. Payment apps including Walmart-owned PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm currently have a strong presence among Indian consumers.
Growing iPhone Market
While Android smartphones remain the preferred choice for most Indian consumers because of their lower prices, demand for iPhones has been growing among more affluent customers.
Apple shipped more than 14 million iPhones in India in 2025, according to TechCrunch.
India has also become increasingly important to Apple as a manufacturing and export base. Local reports estimate that the country now accounts for roughly 25 per cent of global iPhone production as Apple works to reduce its reliance on China.
Changes to UPI Payment Fees
The Apple Pay launch comes as India introduces changes to the economics of UPI payments.
The government has allowed banks and payment apps to charge merchants a small fee on larger UPI transactions after six years of largely free usage.
Officials say the move is needed to support the sustainability of the digital payments infrastructure. Critics, however, have warned that additional costs could affect UPI usage if merchants pass the fees on to customers.
