Apple Pay Set to Launch in India With Axis Bank, Sources Say

Apple Pay is set to launch in India in partnership with Axis Bank, according to people familiar with the matter, marking the service's entry into one of the world's largest mobile payments markets.

The launch comes as some of India's largest banks are reportedly holding off on supporting Apple Pay initially, suggesting a phased rollout in which only a subset of banking partners will be available to users at launch.

A competitive payments landscape

India's digital payments market has become one of the most active in the world, dominated in large part by domestic platforms built around the country's Unified Payments Interface, which has driven rapid adoption of mobile-based transactions.

Apple Pay's entry into this environment, starting with a single banking partner in Axis Bank, suggests a cautious initial approach as the company looks to establish a foothold before expanding support to additional financial institutions.

It remains unclear which other banks may eventually join the service, or what specific factors are behind the reported hesitation among some of India's largest lenders to support Apple Pay from the outset.

Apple has not issued an official public statement confirming the details of the launch, and the timing and rollout plan remain based on reporting from sources familiar with the matter.