Expanding into markets, domestic or international, demands strategic focus on multiple aspects including customers, distribution, regulation, competition, and more, which enterprises have at the top of their mind, and rightly so.At the end point, the point of purchase, however, all investments converge at a simple question: Is the customer able to pay the way they want to? In the din of other important decisions amid expansion, the payment aspect can easily get overlooked. It is then that this simple question becomes a challenge.More importantly this question can become even more difficult, for enterprises that are expanding between India and the world, with a potential of hindering growth.This is precisely why the evolution of Adyen in India is worth watching.ET SpotlightWho is Adyen?Adyen is a global financial technology platform that works with global giants like Meta, H&M, eBay, and more. The company’s India expansion has come with a proposition pivoted around seamlessly connecting global payment infrastructure with local requirements.The Reserve Bank of India authorised Adyen to operate in the country in 2024, as a Payment Aggregator - Online to support domestic payment processing and an approval to act as a Payment Aggregator - Outward enabling Adyen to support foreign domiciled merchants providing services to Indian shoppers. They have also set up a technology hub in Bengaluru.Adyen is now deepening its presence in the country, and witnessing positive momentum, as they support Indian enterprises with their global ambition, while also helping global companies expand in India.The focus now, for Adyen, is what global expansion demands from financial infrastructure.ET SpotlightLocal relevance of global ambitions:Global and local payments structures tend to be distinct in many aspects, hence challenging seamless integration. In India, we have a distinct local digital payment ecosystem, which is robust and widespread, becoming a part of commerce on the grassroots level and upwards like UPI.A global enterprise expanding to India cannot rely completely on replicating its overseas payment structures in India. The experience cannot be enough. On the other hand, an Indian enterprise expanding globally cannot rely on the domestic payment ecosystem in entirety. They will have to adapt to a distinct set of payment structures, currencies, fraud detection, regulations, authentication requirements, alternative payment methods and more.This essentially means that what works in one market, cannot/might not work in another, and this friction creates a fundamental challenge for the enterprises: while enterprises are aiming at achieving global consistency, customers seek a truly local experience.Historically, enterprises have been relying on integrating payments infrastructure market by market as they expanded, adding local platforms, payments methods to their stack as they venture into a new market.However, the approach creates friction, on multiple levels. To begin with, it creates fragmentation, given the fact that integrating distinct payment systems means integrating different reporting systems, as well as operational processes.The problem becomes even more complex as the enterprise keeps on adding more markets to their portfolio, and in the process adding more payments ecosystems along the way. Managing the whole integrated ecosystem can be arduous.That friction essentially emphasises why payment stacks are becoming increasingly, strategically important. A unified platform can not only eliminate this friction, but it can also propel growth while the enterprise is expanding, by creating a common technology layer.This is what Adyen is precisely positioned to do in India, and for Indian enterprises with overseas ambitions. The company’s India structure includes combining local payment platforms-UPI, RuPay, Cards, and more-while using a single platform for processing and other related capabilities.Outside of India, Adyen also provides Unified Commerce - a single solution for both offline and online payments. In the EU, US and UK they have a banking license and also offer embedded finance and Intelligent Money Movement solutions to acquire, optimize and payout funds. They also help merchants drive engagement and revenue through loyalty, promotions, product discovery, and AI-enabled commerce with solutions from recently acquired companies Talon.One (loyalty) and Orb (billing), and their own agentic commerce solution - Adyen Agentic.Adyen as a global payment stack is removing the friction, and creating an experience where enterprises are able to scale to global markets with seamless payments experience, and their local customers remain unfazed with the payments ecosystem of their choice.The company is ensuring that enterprises do not have to choose between global scale and local relevance.ET SpotlightWhat makes this conversation important now?The digital commerce opportunity in India is exponentially growing. A Google-Deloitte report projects the country's e-commerce will grow to 250 Billion USD by 2030, from around 90 Billion USD today.Besides, the payments industry of the country is also entering a mode which is more sophisticated, focused, as well organised. The future can be fathomed from the scale of the Fintech industries’ efforts.The Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026, to be held in Mumbai between 8 and 11 September, is themed as “Potential to Impact: Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance”.The theme is a testimony to how the ecosystem is moving beyond just digitisation, and towards infrastructure that can operate seamlessly across borders, and connected ecosystems.At the Fest, there will be a special emphasis on Agentic AI, Tokenisation, and Quantum technologies as well-in the backdrop of how artificial intelligence is going to change the way businesses optimise transactions, manage fraud, and automate financial workflows.Adyen’s presence at the GFF will further deepen the company’s commitment towards enhancing the digital payments structure in India, and for Indian enterprises expanding globally, by providing a single technology layer for integration.This is not only going to enhance the payments experience for domestic, as well as the global customer, it is also opening growth avenues for enterprises that understand how pivotal payments experiences are to their businesses.