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Razorpay, NPCI Launch AI-Powered 'Agentic Payments'

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  Published in Food and Wine on Thursday, March 5th 2026 at 23:24 GMT by Business Today
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Mumbai, India - March 6th, 2026 - A seismic shift is underway in the Indian payments landscape. Razorpay, the leading payment gateway, in collaboration with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), today announced the full-scale launch of 'Agentic Payments' - a groundbreaking initiative leveraging the power of Anthropic's Claude AI to revolutionize how businesses manage their payment operations. Early adopters Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto are already experiencing the benefits, marking a pivotal moment in the integration of artificial intelligence into India's rapidly evolving fintech sector.

For years, payment processing, while becoming increasingly digitized, has remained burdened by complex, manual workflows. Reconciliation - the process of matching payment records - is notoriously time-consuming and error-prone. Dispute resolution, involving investigation and potential refunds, demands significant human resources. These processes not only increase operational costs but also contribute to delays and potential customer dissatisfaction. Agentic Payments directly tackles these pain points.

At the heart of this innovation lies Claude, Anthropic's state-of-the-art generative AI model. Unlike traditional automation solutions that rely on pre-defined rules, Claude possesses a remarkable capacity for contextual understanding and independent decision-making. This allows the system to act as a 'digital agent,' intelligently handling payment-related operations with minimal human intervention. Think of it as a virtual team of highly skilled payment specialists, available 24/7.

"This isn't simply automation; it's agentic automation," explains Harshil Mathur, CEO of Razorpay. "Traditional automation follows a rigid script. Claude can understand the nuances of a transaction, interpret supporting documentation, and make informed decisions - much like a human agent would. This level of intelligence is a game-changer for businesses dealing with high transaction volumes and complex payment scenarios."

The initial implementation across Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto is focused on streamlining several key areas. These include automated reconciliation of daily settlements, proactive identification of potential fraudulent transactions, and intelligent handling of customer disputes. Early data indicates substantial improvements in efficiency. Zomato reports a 40% reduction in reconciliation time, while Swiggy has seen a 25% decrease in dispute resolution timelines. Zepto, focusing on rapid delivery, is leveraging the system to minimize payment failures and ensure smooth order fulfillment.

NPCI's involvement is crucial. As the umbrella organization for all retail payments in India, NPCI's backing lends credibility and scalability to the Agentic Payments system. Dilip Asbe, Managing Director & CEO of NPCI, commented, "We are committed to fostering innovation in the payments ecosystem. Agentic Payments, powered by AI, is a significant step towards creating a more efficient, secure, and customer-centric payment infrastructure for India."

However, the launch isn't without its considerations. Data privacy and security are paramount. Both Razorpay and Anthropic emphasize that all data is handled in compliance with the strictest industry standards and regulations, including India's Data Protection Act. Furthermore, the system is designed with built-in safeguards to prevent unauthorized actions and ensure transparency.

The long-term implications of Agentic Payments extend far beyond just cost savings and efficiency gains. Experts predict this technology will unlock new possibilities for financial inclusion by reducing the barriers to entry for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By automating complex tasks, SMEs can focus on core business functions and expand their reach without being hampered by operational constraints.

Looking ahead, Razorpay and NPCI plan to expand the Agentic Payments system to encompass a wider range of use cases, including invoice processing, vendor payments, and cross-border transactions. The partnership also intends to open the platform to other businesses, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of AI-powered payment solutions. This marks not just a technological advancement, but a fundamental shift in how India processes and manages its financial transactions, positioning the nation at the forefront of the global AI-driven fintech revolution.