In early 2024, RuPay signed the lease for a lounge to be opened next to Gate 41 at the Delhi IGI Airport Terminal 3. This lounge would stand in the same spot where the Vistara Lounge was back in 2016. However, the difference would be that Encalm Hospitality would manage the lounge. This lounge management company also manages all the other lounges at Delhi Airport. Earlier this week, RuPay announced the opening of their lounge for credit card customers only.  This lounge formally opened on September 12, 2024, and we were there to review it.

RuPay Lounge Delhi IGI Airport Terminal 3 Domestic Departures

The RuPay Lounge is in Terminal 3 Departures, situated at Gate 41. After completing your security check procedures, you arrive at the central concourse and walk towards the area where the gates and the Centurion Lounge are. From there, you head left and pass gates 37-41 to arrive at the lounge. 

As you enter, you will witness a till, where you must authenticate your RuPay Credit Card for INR 2 to get access. RuPay also installed QR Code validation if you don’t have your physical card, although I did not pay attention to how authentication worked there. I used my HDFC Bank Tata Neu Infinity Credit Card to gain access. You can apply using this link to get the card with no joining fee.

The Lounge is divided into four sections. a Lounging Area, a Restaurant Area, a Bar, and a Gaming Room. As you enter, on your left side is a large Lounging Area for you to wait for your flight and catch up on your breath and your emails/phone calls. All the 29 solo couches and chairs installed here have charging ports and USB-A sockets in easy reach.

The following section is the dining area, which is behind the lounging area and runs on the sides. If you choose to dine from this section, you can enjoy an impressive view of the tarmac operations from the runway.

I predict these tables will be in hot demand for those who enjoy a view of aeroplanes as a side with their meals at this airport. However, my views were not as lovely for the images I took, given the darkness of the pre-dawn time when I was in the lounge.

A tiny section also serves as a bar with many high chairs. However, as has become predictable now, getting an Excise License in Delhi to serve alcohol is a mighty task, and it will take a while before you get yourself a bit of a tipple here before your flight.

The lounge is dotted with television screens, which either play brand videos of RuPay or are used to display the Flight Information Display Screens.

Hidden in a corner behind the reception is a gaming room with three Playstations installed. I’m not sure whose whizkid this was to install playstations at an airport lounge (these are also present at Encalm Prive on the international pier), but I hope that no one misses their flight playing a game here. There was already one taker, and he was deeply engrossed in his game when I took pictures. Delhi Airport is a silent airport, and no one will come and fetch you, unlike Paris CDG, where the games are at the gates.

Dotting the walls are other tidbits and artwork that signify the emergence of RuPay as a premier payment network in India.

In a corner, some merchandise on display associates RuPay with the IPL and the recently launched RuPay on the Go bands.

RuPay Lounge, Delhi Airport Terminal 3 Domestic Departures Food & Beverages

The lounge was not busy when I walked in and had just opened for business. As I entered, the receptionist told me I was the first guest in the lounge ever. What a coincidence. A few more RuPay Credit Card holders walked in after me, and others faced issues authenticating their entries. I even met our reader, who was on his way to Dehradun.

There are five meal changes around here: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Evening Snacks, and a midnight spread open until around four-thirty a.m. when breakfast is back. When I arrived, the chefs laid out Breakfast and diligently took pictures of their arrangements. They told me that it was their first meal service here, so they needed to report back on the appearance of the food to ensure that it was in line with the intended appearance.

The breakfast spread was reasonable enough. Early in the morning, there was a Salad Bar (which had Fruits, Yogurt, and Bircher Muesly stocked up).

Cereal was on offer as well.

The hot menu included idli sambar, upma, pav bhaji, frittatas, and sausages for breakfast.

There was also a bread bar with various kinds of bread and pastry.

Adjacent, it was intended to be a sweet spot, I believe, with Sweet Daliya this morning I visited.

I don’t think there was a live station offering various kinds of eggs, and if you wanted eggs, the frittata was your only option, at least on Day 1.

For beverages, juice was available, along with a coffee machine and water. No aerated drinks are available here.

It was too early in the morning to eat anything, but I sampled their Idlis, which were lovely. The Daliya, however, was cold. Someone might have forgotten to put it on the induction plates. Overall, the meals were of the usual standard of Encalm Hospitality and tasted nice.

How to Access the RuPay Lounge?

The Lounge is built for credit card customers on the RuPay network and advises them on the video wall installed outside. I’m sure the RuPay Debit Card holders feel left out, but this is a branding and marketing project, and I believe RuPay wants to create more use cases for people to sign on for RuPay Credit Cards. This move should aid the growth in signups for RuPay Credit Cards. (Check our list of the Best RuPay Credit Cards here). 

While I don’t have a complete list of all the credit cards you can use to get in, here is a short, indicative list to start with—one you can use to apply for a RuPay Credit Card, which will get you inside this lounge.

• HDFC Bank TATA Neu Infinity Credit Card:  8 Domestic Lounge Access per annum. Use referral code AJAY499 to apply using the Tata Neu app or apply here.
• HDFC Bank TATA Neu Plus Credit Card:  4 Domestic Lounge Access per annum. Use referral code AJAY499 to apply using the Tata Neu app or apply here.
• ICICI Bank HPCL Super Saver RuPay Credit Card: 1 Airport Lounge Access Per Quarter.
• IDFC First Power Plus RuPay Select Credit Card: 4 Airport Lounge Access Per Annum.
• ixigo AU Credit Card: 2 domestic lounge access in a quarter.
• Reliance Prime Select Credit Card: You will receive eight complimentary Lounges per calendar year (a maximum of Domestic Airpor 2 per quarter).

Bottomline

Overall, this is a great first attempt at a RuPay lounge. At its total capacity, it can easily accommodate about 80-100 people. The views from this lounge are lovely, and I foresee myself using it more often if I have a flight to board from gate 38-39 onwards at Delhi’s T3. The breakfast spread was excellent, and I guess the day’s other meals will be even better. The best thing is this is only for RuPay CC customers, which means the pool of people accessing it is very small compared to Visa and MasterCard-bearing customers.

Have you visited the RuPay Lounge at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 3 yet? What are your impressions?

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Pros

+ Located in the Terminal
+ Good F&B Offering
+ Exclusive for RuPay Credit Card holders
+ Crowding not expected

Cons

None really!

Rating