Apple Pay launches in India with Axis Bank

Apple said Wednesday it had launched Apple Pay in India through a partnership with Axis Bank, entering one of the world's largest digital payments markets.

The company said Axis Bank customers can store their credit cards in Apple Wallet and use iPhones or Apple Watches to make payments at thousands of in-store and online merchants across India.

More than 80 percent of India's digital payments are handled through the homegrown United Payments Interface. The IMF says UPI is the world's largest real-time payment system by volume.

India's digital payments market is dominated by PhonePe, owned by Walmart, Alphabet's Google Pay and local rival Paytm.

Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said Apple was excited to bring the service to users in India.

Apple's launch comes as more affluent Indian consumers buy iPhones, although most customers in the country use cheaper Android smartphones. TechCrunch reported that Apple shipped more than 14 million units in 2025.

Apple has also sought to make India a key manufacturing and export hub as it works to reduce dependence on China. Local reports say India accounts for roughly 25 percent of global iPhone output.

The rollout also follows a decision by India's government to allow banks and payment apps to charge merchants a small fee on larger UPI transactions after six years of free use. The government says the move is needed to sustain digital infrastructure, while critics say it could slow usage if merchants pass costs to customers.