Mastercard recently showcased India’s ‘first fully authenticated agentic commerce transaction’ — an AI-driven purchase without human involvement. However, this was a controlled demonstration rather than an actual commercial launch. According to Gautam Aggarwal, President of Mastercard India and South Asia, a full rollout depends on regulatory clarity expected in the coming months. While the payments were conducted using real systems, they occurred within sandbox environments, as no Indian platform is integrated into an AI agent ecosystem yet. The timeline for launching this technology hinges on whether regulators require fresh approvals or if agent-led payments can build on existing technologies like tokenization. Agentic commerce is not confined to specific payment methods, working across cards and UPI, making it relevant in India’s diverse payment landscape. Aggarwal emphasized that agent-led transactions will maintain existing security standards, promoting trust. Mastercard aims to be the behind-the-scenes infrastructure, focusing on scaling automated commerce solutions.
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