- ToneTag, TATA.CARS and IndianOil unveil India’s first In-Car Fuel Payment solution at Global Fintech Fest 2026
- IoT-enabled UPI Circle lets connected-car users pay for fuel directly through the vehicle interface
- No separate mobile app or card required as DrivePay brings secure, contactless payments closer to the driver
- IndianOil XTRAREWARDS integration lets eligible customers earn loyalty points without sharing their mobile number
- ToneTag eyes wider in-car payment and commerce opportunities across the connected mobility ecosystem
NE BUSINESS BUREAU
MUMBAI, SEPT 11
What if the next time you refuel, you don’t reach for your phone, card or wallet at all? You simply pay through your car. That is the futuristic convenience being brought closer to Indian motorists as ToneTag, TATA.CARS and IndianOil unveil India’s first In-Car Fuel Payment solution, turning the connected vehicle itself into a payment interface.
Launched at Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026, DrivePay, powered by ToneTag, uses an IoT-enabled implementation of NPCI’s UPI Circle framework to allow connected-vehicle users to pay for fuel directly through their vehicle dashboard after refuelling at participating IndianOil outlets.
The initiative marks a significant shift in the way digital payments could work in a connected-mobility era: the car is no longer merely taking you to the payment counter—it can become the payment interface itself.
From smartphone to steering wheel
DrivePay extends digital payments into the connected vehicle, enabling customers to complete fuel transactions through the vehicle’s interface without needing a separate mobile application, card or other payment method.
Following its launch at GFF 2026, the solution is being deployed in collaboration with IndianOil to enable an in-car fuel-payment experience at IndianOil Retail Outlets, with a formal rollout expected in the coming months.
At the technology level, the solution leverages NPCI’s UPI Circle framework, “Introduction of IoT Devices and Software on the UPI Ecosystem”, while ToneTag provides the technology layer enabling the IoT-based payment experience.
The result is designed to be secure, convenient and contactless, bringing the payment experience into an environment where consumers are already interacting—their connected vehicle.
Refuel, pay, earn
DrivePay also seeks to make loyalty rewards part of the seamless experience.
The solution will integrate IndianOil’s XTRAREWARDS loyalty programme, enabling eligible customers to earn reward points without sharing their mobile number during the transaction.
This brings together four distinct strengths: IndianOil’s extensive fuel retail network, TATA.CARS’ connected-vehicle ecosystem, ToneTag’s payment technology and NPCI’s digital-payment infrastructure.
Together, they create a foundation not only for in-car fuel payments but potentially for a much broader connected-commerce ecosystem.
When the vehicle becomes the interface
For ToneTag, the bigger opportunity extends beyond paying for petrol or diesel.
The company sees connected vehicles as an emerging platform for digital commerce and plans to explore opportunities with other automotive OEMs and mobility ecosystem players to enable similar in-vehicle payment and commerce experiences.
“Payments are rapidly moving beyond traditional interfaces such as cards and smartphones, and connected devices are emerging as the next frontier for commerce. With DrivePay, powered by ToneTag, we are bringing an IoT-based UPI Circle payment experience directly into the connected vehicle. This initiative with IndianOil, TATA.CARS and NPCI demonstrates how payment infrastructure can seamlessly extend into connected devices, enabling the vehicle itself to become a secure payment interface. We believe this is an important step towards a future where mobility, payments and commerce are seamlessly connected,” said Vivek Kumar Singh, Co-Founder and Director – Labs, ToneTag.
The larger proposition is clear: as vehicles become increasingly connected, the dashboard could evolve from a control centre for navigation, entertainment and vehicle functions into a gateway for everyday commerce.
DrivePay’s fuel-payment debut could therefore be just the opening chapter. What begins with refuelling could eventually extend to other mobility-related purchases and connected services, bringing payments closer to the consumer and making the vehicle itself part of the digital transaction ecosystem.
