India Tests Agentic UPI Payment on ChatGPT Via Razorpay

India has launched a pilot agentic payment that lets users make payments directly through ChatGPT, marking a major first for the country’s booming digital payment network. The collaboration between NPCI, Razorpay, and OpenAI could revolutionize conversational commerce and payments.

Just think of chatting with an AI agent online about where to buy your groceries, and before you can switch apps, it says, “Would you like to pay now?” Conversational ecommerce is no longer a futuristic idea.

India’s National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has teamed up with fintech company Razorpay and OpenAI to let users complete real purchases inside the chat itself.

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It’s a pilot conversational commerce project, yes, but it feels like the start of something that could eventually change how we interact with technology every day. 

Instead of hopping between browser tabs or apps, you could browse, compare, and buy, all while chatting naturally.

The service runs on India’s trusted Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which already processes over 20 billion transactions a month. 

AI made its first payment in India – seamlessly – no redirects, no hassles.
We just piloted Razorpay Agentic Payments with @NPCI_NPCI & @OpenAI at #GFF2025.
You chat → the AI shops → you confirm → it pays.
India didn’t wait for the future. It switched it on. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/GI7rM28NMJ

— Harshil Mathur (@harshilmathur) October 9, 2025

What Makes Conversational eCommerce Different

This pilot introduces something the partners call agentic payments. 

What if your digital assistant could actually act on your instructions? Not in a “take over your finances” kind of way but enough to make buying a bag of rice or booking a movie ticket smoother.

Razorpay CEO Harshil Mathur put it well: “We’re transforming AI assistants from simple discovery tools into full-fledged shopping agents.”

So instead of asking ChatGPT where to buy something and then manually paying for it elsewhere, you can do the entire thing right there, mid-conversation. 

Why India Is a Natural Testbed for Conversational eCommerce

In India, UPI has already turned peer-to-peer payments into an everyday habit, from chai vendors to cab drivers. The network’s speed and reliability make it the ideal testing ground for what happens when AI meets real-time finance.

The pilot utilizes UPI’s new “reserve pay” feature, allowing users to hold a set amount for a specific merchant. It’s designed for security, giving people confidence that the AI or the system acting on their behalf isn’t spending a rupee beyond what they approve.

Axis Bank and Airtel Payments Bank are helping with the banking infrastructure, while Bigbasket, the online grocery platform owned by the Tata Group, has become one of the first to integrate the feature.

So if you’re chatting on ChatGPT about restocking your kitchen, you might soon be able to place and pay for an order in the same breath.

What OpenAI and Razorpay Are Betting On

When I read Oliver Jay’s comment, OpenAI’s Managing Director for International Strategy, it struck me how much mutual respect there seems to be between global tech and India’s financial innovation.

He said, “We’re excited to work with NPCI and explore how we can combine advanced AI with UPI, one of the world’s most trusted real-time payment networks.”

While most AI-related headlines lately have been about data privacy or deepfakes, here’s a project that leans on something proven and familiar, which is UPI’s secure rails.

It’s less about replacing human judgment and more about saving people time. 

The idea is that the “agentic” assistant will always ask for your confirmation before completing a payment, meaning you stay in control.

A Subtle Competition Brewing

Interestingly, Razorpay’s local rival, Cashfree, also announced its own agentic payment product for merchants the very same day. That wasn’t a coincidence. 

Both companies seem to see the writing on the wall: conversational commerce could soon become the next big frontier.

We’ve already seen chatbots helping users find products or answer questions. Now they’re being asked to finish the job. The question isn’t whether this technology will take off, it’s who will do it best, fastest, and safest.

The Bigger Picture

Truth be told, most of us don’t think twice about tapping “Pay” anymore. But when that tap turns into a simple “yes” inside a chat, it changes how we think about money and convenience.

If this pilot goes well, it could push India’s fintech sector into a new era of automation, where paying is conversational and secure. It could also set a global example of how AI can be practical, not just powerful.

And as someone who’s watched India’s payment story grow, from physical wallets to UPI QR codes, it’s hard not to feel a bit of excitement.

What to Expect Next

The pilot phase is focused on testing usability, privacy, and scale. Can millions of users comfortably authorize transactions inside a chat interface? Will merchants be ready to accept this new kind of payment flow?

If things go as planned, NPCI and its partners will expand it to more sectors—food delivery, subscriptions, entertainment, maybe even travel. That means one day, your AI assistant could help you plan your weekend, book your movie, and buy snacks without ever opening another app.

But there’s still caution. Experts are watching how data is handled, how consent is structured, and whether “autonomous” payments can remain fully user-driven. The pilot’s real success will depend on keeping transparency front and center.

What This Means for You and Me

So, what does all this actually mean for regular users? Here’s the short version:

1. You’ll soon be able to make payments directly through chat platforms like ChatGPT.
2. You’ll use UPI, the same system already trusted by hundreds of millions.
3. Your transactions will still require your approval before money moves.
   
4. The experience could be smoother than any checkout page we’ve used before.
5. Businesses will likely adapt to reach customers where they’re already chatting.
   

I find it interesting how payments are becoming so effortless that you hardly notice them anymore. You could be chatting about buying something, and before you realize it, the payment is done within the same conversation. 

It’s convenient, but it also makes you wonder how comfortable you are letting technology handle something as personal as money.

Key Takeaways

• India’s NPCI, Razorpay, and OpenAI have launched a pilot to enable payments directly within ChatGPT using UPI.
• The program introduces “agentic” technology, letting AI assistants handle transactions with user approval.
• Bigbasket, Axis Bank, and Airtel Payments Bank are the first participants.
• The pilot relies on UPI’s new “reserve pay” feature to secure merchant transactions.
• If successful, this could redefine how people interact with money online—through simple conversations.