Apple is reportedly negotiating to bring Apple Pay to India, a market it has pursued since 2017. The company is in talks with Indian banks, regulators, Visa, and Mastercard. A launch could happen by late 2026, marking a decade-long effort to enter a key growth region.

India's payment landscape is dominated by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which Apple has avoided due to complex licensing and localization rules. Unlike Google Pay and Samsung Wallet, Apple Pay would initially support credit and debit cards, not UPI. This limits its utility for daily spending but aids international transactions.

The delay stems from regulatory hurdles, including data storage laws and past biometric authentication disputes. Apple's Eddy Cue publicly expressed intent to enter the market years ago. Success now hinges on fee negotiations with card issuers and adapting to India's unique digital payments ecosystem.