After years of anticipation, Apple appears to be preparing for the launch of its digital payment service in India. Apple Pay, which is already available in more than 89 countries, is expected to enter the Indian market later this year, according to a report by a business daily. This move could offer Apple users in India a new way to make fast and secure payments without relying on third party apps.
The Cupertino based company has been exploring an India launch for some time. The report said Apple is currently in discussions with regulators, banks, and card networks to finalise the rollout. These talks are focused on meeting local compliance requirements and setting up the necessary commercial agreements.
What is Apple Pay
Apple Pay is operated by Apple Payments Services, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. It works only on Apple devices such as iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, and Macs. Unlike popular Indian apps such as Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm, Apple Pay does not support non Apple devices.
What features are expected
In India, Apple Pay is likely to begin with its contactless tap to pay feature. This allows users to make payments by tapping their Apple device on a point of sale terminal using near field communication. Users will be able to store their credit and debit card details in Apple Wallet and complete transactions without swiping a physical card.
To make this possible, Apple must finalise agreements with major card issuers. This includes settling on gateway usage fees. At present, Indian users cannot add their cards to Apple Wallet.
Challenges in the Indian market
India’s payment ecosystem is dominated by the Unified Payments Interface, which operates under the National Payments Corporation of India. Any global wallet service must integrate deeply with these systems, follow data localisation rules set by the Reserve Bank of India, and align with existing payment frameworks.
There are early signs of progress. Apple Pay is now being accepted more often for international bookings by Indian companies. Akasa Air recently became the first Indian airline to accept Apple Pay for international flight bookings, suggesting growing readiness among merchants.
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