The airpay story
Fourteen years building the rails money moves on in the markets where they are hardest to build.
We started in Mumbai in 2012, when accepting a digital payment in India still meant stitching together banks, gateways and reconciliation by hand. Small businesses were told the infrastructure would reach them eventually. It mostly didn't. So we built what was missing, one layer at a time and kept going, because a merchant who can accept money still can't always borrow against it, and a business that can borrow still can't always reach the customers who need what it sells.
2012
Founded in Mumbai.
Fourteen years in payments infrastructure.
14 Markets
India, UAE, Tanzania and Zambia,
each run on local rails.
5 Global Payment Licenses
Authorized to operate across multiple payment categories and international markets.
Four markets. Local rails in every one.
airpay is a fully licensed entity, live across India, the UAE, Tanzania and Zambia. Every market is served on local rails, with local teams and local compliance because payments that route through somewhere else are not really local, and regulators know it.
India
Since 2012
United Arab Emirates
Since 2019
Tanzania
Since 2021
Zambia
Since 2022
Four verticals. Each closing a real gap.
The group operates across four businesses, engineered end-to-end rather than assembled from partners. Each one exists because something in the chain was missing.
From one payments business to four
Each vertical and each market arrived for a reason. The order is the argument - it explains why these four and not any other four.
The beginning
Founded in Mumbai. airpay starts as a payments business, at a point when digital acceptance in India still had to be assembled by hand.
Distribution network launched
Agent and retail partner programme extended the reach of digital payments to tier-2 and tier-3 markets.
First market outside India
UAE operations launched, establishing the group's first cross-border infrastructure.
East Africa Tanzania and Zambia
Agent-led banking network expanded into sub-Saharan Africa on local rails.
Wealth management launched
Savings and investment products delivered through the existing distribution network and relationships.
Credit business launched
Working capital products for MSMEs introduced, using observed transaction history in place of formal credit files.
Three RBI Licenses
From online and in-store payments to cross-border commerce, our PA-O, PA-P and PA-CB licenses position us to build a comprehensive, regulated infrastructure for the evolving needs of businesses.
Today
Four verticals, four markets, one infrastructure. Still the same job: take away whatever stands between a business and its next transaction.
Every industry has assumptions that shape how things are done. We built airpay by challenging every one of them.
Our vision
Become the global leader who enables financial services, empowering individuals and businesses through seamless transactions and unparalleled financial experiences.
Our mission
Our mission is to cater to the diverse needs of consumers, businesses, banks, and financial institutions by fostering strategic collaborations with the ecosystem, providing innovative solutions, promoting financial inclusivity, and driving economic growth on a global scale.
Four values, and what they mean in practice
The group operates across four businesses, engineered end-to-end rather than assembled from partners. Each one exists because something in the chain was missing.
Authentic
Relatable · grounded · practical · consistent
We show up as our true selves with honesty, humility and integrity.
Inclusive
Experiment · innovate · iterate
We embrace change, challenge the status quo and grow with purpose.
Empowering
Growth · self-belief · confidence · independence
We remove barriers, support people, and create opportunities.
Transformational
Diverse · open-minded · respectful
Diversity isn't a checkbox for us it's our strength. Because the world we serve is beautifully un-uniform.
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