India launches world’s first chatbot payment system through United Payments Interface

India is launching a pilot program allowing consumers to make payments directly through AI chatbots using its government-backed Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the country’s dominant instant payment platform. This initiative marks the world’s first government-supported chatbot transaction system, positioning India as a global testing ground for AI-powered commerce that could set precedents for other major markets.

What you should know: The payment system will initially roll out through ChatGPT before expanding to other major AI platforms.

• Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude will follow as the next platforms to integrate the payment capability.
• Bengaluru-based fintech company Razorpay developed the technical integration that enables these transactions.
• OpenAI won’t receive a share of sales revenue but could benefit from increased user engagement in one of its top consumer markets.

Who’s participating: Early merchant partners include major Indian companies across different sectors.

• Online grocery platform BigBasket has joined as a launch participant, allowing customers to purchase groceries through chatbot interactions.
• Telecom provider Vi is also among the initial merchants offering services through the AI payment system.

The big picture: This move follows similar payment announcements for ChatGPT in the United States but represents a significant escalation in government backing.

• Unlike private-sector initiatives, India’s pilot has official government support through the UPI system, which processes the majority of digital transactions in the country.
• The program creates a model that other nations could potentially adopt for integrating AI assistants with national payment infrastructure.

Why this matters: India’s approach could fundamentally reshape how consumers interact with AI assistants for commerce globally.

• By combining government-backed payment rails with popular AI platforms, India is testing whether chatbot commerce can scale beyond experimental features to mainstream adoption.
• Success in India’s massive consumer market could accelerate similar government-supported AI commerce initiatives worldwide.