Air India and SBI Card are developing a new co-branded credit card on the Visa network, with travel and lifestyle benefits for Maharaja Club members.
The partnership was announced on 28 October 2026. If you’ve been waiting for a new Air India card, this confirms one is on the way—but it is a partnership announcement, not the full product launch. Fees, reward rates and a launch date have not been disclosed.
What Has Been Confirmed?
The new credit card programme will bring together Air India’s Maharaja Club, SBI Card and Visa. Air India says the aim is to reward both everyday spending and travel, giving members another way to engage with its loyalty programme.
You can read the official announcement filed by SBI Card with the NSE.
There is no detailed earning structure yet, so we don’t know how many Maharaja Points you’ll earn on regular purchases or whether Air India bookings will receive an accelerated rate.
What We Still Don’t Know
The announcement does not specify:
- Joining and annual fees, or spending requirements for a fee waiver.
- Reward rates, excluded spending categories or earning caps.
- Welcome, renewal or spending-milestone bonuses.
- Airport lounge access and any spending conditions attached to it.
- Maharaja Club status benefits, upgrade vouchers or other airline privileges.
- Card variants, eligibility requirements or an application-opening date.
Those details will determine whether the card makes sense for you. The airline’s ambition to build a compelling travel card is not, by itself, evidence of a strong return on spending.
Will It Help You Earn Air India Status?
No status benefit has been confirmed. The release positions the card around Maharaja Club, but it does not promise complimentary status or explain whether spending will help with tier qualification.
Until the product terms are published, don’t assume that earning rewards through the card will also move you towards a higher airline tier.
Our Take
A new Air India co-branded card could be useful if it combines competitive everyday earning with meaningful airline benefits. The important comparison will be its total cost and rewards against the cards you already use—not simply the Air India branding.
For now, the partnership and Visa network are confirmed; the value proposition is still to come. It is worth watching for the product launch, but too early to recommend applying or moving spending in anticipation.
