Yes, you read that right – soon you’ll be able to chat, shop, and pay right inside ChatGPT. No app-switching, no typing UPI IDs – just tell the AI what you want, and it’ll handle the rest (with your permission, of course). India’s NPCI, Razorpay, and OpenAI have teamed up to test this new feature called Agentic Payments – and it’s powered by India’s very own UPI.
Here’s what this means for you
1. Shop and pay – all within ChatGPT
Imagine this: you ask ChatGPT
“Order ingredients for butter paneer for four people from BigBasket.”
The AI searches BigBasket, compares options, shows prices, and – once you approve – completes the payment through Razorpay’s UPI gateway. You stay inside ChatGPT the whole time.
2. Agentic AI = AI that acts for you
“Agentic” means the AI doesn’t just reply – it performs tasks on your behalf (safely).
You’ll still confirm each step, but the assistant handles the boring stuff like searching, selecting, and paying.
Think of it as your AI shopping companion, not just a chatbot.
3. Built on UPI’s new Reserve Pay feature
This is a big deal for safety. Instead of direct payment, your funds are reserved with your bank – and only released when you confirm the purchase.
For now, Axis Bank and Airtel Payments Bank are the first to support this.
4. Where you can try it first
The pilot starts with BigBasket – so grocery orders will be the first real-world test.
But if all goes well, expect to see travel bookings, bill payments, and food delivery join in soon.
5. Why this matters
- No need to jump between apps for discovery and checkout.
- Faster, safer conversational payments.
- Smarter AI that learns your purchase habits.
- Opens the door to a future where AI agents manage daily tasks – securely.
The feature is in pilot stage right now – you might see limited access soon for testing. Over time, more banks and e-commerce platforms will integrate it.
And yes – rival platforms like Cashfree are also developing their own agentic payment systems, so expect India’s AI payments race to heat up soon.
