Apple Pay has made its long-awaited debut in India, entering one of the world’s largest and most competitive digital payments markets.

The service arrives years after Apple Pay launched in major Western markets, and years behind the domestic Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which dominates India’s digital payments landscape with billions of free transactions every month.

Apple’s entry sets up a direct contest with entrenched players including Google Pay, PhonePe and Paytm, all of which ride on UPI rails. Industry watchers will be watching how Apple Pay integrates with India’s payment infrastructure and whether it can carve out a premium niche.

The launch comes as India’s digital payments space faces its own churn, with the NPCI’s new MDR framework for select UPI transactions set to take effect on October 15. Apple users in India can now add their cards to the Wallet app and tap to pay at compatible terminals.

Apple has not disclosed transaction limits or bank partnerships specific to the Indian rollout.