Best of · September 2026

The fastest way to earn Air India miles.

see the ranked list ↓

Air India is the flag carrier, and the Vistara merger folded 4.5 million Club Vistara members into Maharaja Club at 1:1 — a balance a great many Indian flyers hold whether they planned to or not. 80 of our 645 priced cards can put points into it, and the ratio is only half the answer: what matters is how many Maharaja Points a rupee of spend becomes. Axis Magnus for Burgundy turns ₹1L of spend into 4,800.

the call, and how it's made fold that back up

Which credit card earns the most Air India Maharaja Points in India?

Axis Magnus for Burgundy. Spend ₹1L on it in a month and you end up with 4,800 Maharaja Points — ₹3,840 of them at our ₹0.80 house mark. 6 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 5:4 · ₹30,000/yr. That is base earn multiplied by the ratio that card actually gets — not the headline ratio, and not the ratio a different card on the same bank's points would get. Axis Magnus for Burgundy is invite- or relationship-gated, so if that is not your wallet: the best card here you can simply apply for is Kotak Solitaire at 3,000 per ₹1L (₹0 joining, then ₹25,000/yr).

Verified through · The records behind this board — the ratios into Air India Maharaja Points we could re-read, and that program's house mark — carry re-verification dates from 11 Jul 2026 to 25 Sept 2026; the board is recomputed from them on every build.

The top three

#1 the call Keep

Axis Magnus for Burgundy

4,800

Maharaja Points per ₹1L

6 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 5:4 · ₹30,000/yr

#2 Keep

Kotak Solitaire

3,000

Maharaja Points per ₹1L

3 pts/₹100 in Kotak Air Miles at 1:1 · ₹0 joining, then ₹25,000/yr

#3 Keep

HSBC Premier (Metal)

3,000

Maharaja Points per ₹1L

3 pts/₹100 in HSBC Reward Points at 1:1 · ₹12,000 joining, then ₹20,000/yr

The rest of the field

Ranks 4–15 of 80

# Card Maharaja Points per ₹1L The math
4 Axis Bank Reserve 3,000 7.5 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 5:2 · ₹50,000/yr
5 Axis Magnus 2,400 6 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 5:2 · ₹12,500/yr
6 Axis Horizon 2,000 2 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Miles at 1:1 · ₹3,000/yr
7 HSBC TravelOne 2,000 2 pts/₹100 in HSBC Reward Points at 1:1 · ₹4,999/yr
8 ICICI Times Black 2,000 2 pts/₹100 in ICICI Reward Points at 1:1 · ₹20,000/yr
9 HDFC Diners Club Black Metal 1,665 3.33 pts/₹100 in HDFC Reward Points at 2:1 · ₹10,000/yr
10 IndusInd Tiger 1,000 1 pts/₹100 in IndusInd Reward Points at 1:1 · ₹0 — lifetime free
11 SBI Card MILES PRIME 1,000 1 pts/₹100 in SBI Travel Credits at 1:1 · ₹2,999/yr
12 Kotak Air+ Prime 1,000 2 pts/₹100 in Kotak Air Miles at 2:1 · ₹3,000/yr
13 SBI Card MILES ELITE 1,000 1 pts/₹100 in SBI Travel Credits at 1:1 · ₹4,999/yr
14 RBL Nova 1,000 2 pts/₹100 in RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) at 2:1 · ₹12,500/yr
15 HDFC Regalia Gold 825 2.5 pts/₹100 in HDFC Reward Points at 100:33 · ₹2,500/yr
the other 65 cards — ranks 16 to 80 fold the other 65 back up
# Card Maharaja Points per ₹1L The math
16 SBI AURUM 800 4 pts/₹100 in AURUM Reward Points at 5:1 · ₹9,999/yr
17 HSBC Platinum 667 1.333 pts/₹100 in HSBC Reward Points at 2:1 · ₹0 — lifetime free
18 HSBC RuPay Platinum 667 1.333 pts/₹100 in HSBC Reward Points at 2:1 · ₹0 — lifetime free
19 YES Bank Marquee 600 9 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹9,999 joining, then ₹4,999/yr
20 Axis Bank SELECT 500 5 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 10:1 · ₹3,000/yr
21 IndusInd Pinnacle World 500 1 pts/₹100 in IndusInd Reward Points at 2:1 · ₹0/yr · ₹15,000 joining (one-time)
22 IndianOil Axis Bank Premium 335 0.67 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Miles at 2:1 · ₹1,000/yr
23 Kotak Air 333 1 pts/₹100 in Kotak Air Miles at 3:1 · ₹999/yr
24 Axis Bank Privilege Easy 250 5 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹1,500/yr
25 IndusInd Legend 250 1 pts/₹100 in IndusInd Reward Points at 4:1 · ₹0/yr · ₹5,000 joining (one-time)
26 Axis Bank Pride Signature 200 4 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹500/yr
27 YES Bank FinBooster 67 1 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹0 — lifetime free
28 YES FinBooster RuPay 67 1 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹0 — lifetime free
29 YES Bank anQ Pi 67 1 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹0 — lifetime free
30 YES BANK RuPay Virtual 67 1 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹0 — lifetime free
31 IndianOil Easy Axis Bank 50 1 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹0 — lifetime free
32 SBI Card MILES 500 0.5 pts/₹100 in SBI Travel Credits at 1:1 · ₹1,499/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
33 Axis Bank Privilege 500 5 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 10:1 · ₹1,500/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
34 YES Bank RESERV 400 6 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹2,499/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
35 YES Bank BYOC (Rewards) 267 4 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹588/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
36 Samsung Axis Bank Signature 250 5 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹500/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
37 YES Bank ELITE+ 200 3 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹999/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
38 YES Bank Wellness Plus 200 3 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹1,499/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
39 Axis Bank REWARDS 160 1.6 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 10:1 · ₹1,000/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
40 Axis Bank Platinum 150 3 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹500 joining, then ₹200/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
41 YES Bank ACE 133 2 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹499/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
42 YES Bank Wellness 133 2 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹499/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
43 YES Bank SELECT 133 2 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹599/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
44 YES Essence 133 2 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹799/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
45 Axis Bank Pride Platinum 100 2 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹250/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
46 Axis Bank My Zone 100 2 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹500/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
47 Axis Bank My Zone Easy 100 2 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹500/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
48 Axis Bank My Wings 100 2 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹1,200 joining, then ₹500/yr · the desk's own verdict is cancel
49 Axis Bank Titanium Smart Traveller 50 1 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹250 joining, then ₹100/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
50 IndianOil Axis Bank Credit Card 50 1 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹500/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
51 Axis Bank NEO 25 0.5 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹250/yr · the desk's own verdict is downgrade
52 Axis Burgundy Private 6,000 7.5 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 5:4 · ₹1,00,000/yr · invite-only — not on open application
53 Axis Bank PRIMUS 5,000 1 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Miles at 1:5 · ₹5,00,000 joining, then ₹3,00,000/yr · invite-only — not on open application
54 Air India SBI Signature Card 4,000 co-brand — earns Maharaja Points directly, no transfer · ₹4,999/yr · closed to new applicants
55 Axis Atlas 4,000 2 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Miles at 1:2 · ₹5,000/yr · closed to new applicants
56 Axis Olympus 4,000 1 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Miles at 1:4 · ₹20,000/yr · invite-only — not on open application
57 HSBC Privé 3,330 3.33 pts/₹100 in HSBC Reward Points at 1:1 · ₹2,75,000/yr · invite-only — not on open application
58 Axis Bank Vistara Infinite Credit Card 3,000 co-brand — earns Maharaja Points directly, no transfer · ₹0 — lifetime free · closed to new applicants
59 Club Vistara IDFC FIRST 3,000 co-brand — earns Maharaja Points directly, no transfer · ₹4,999/yr · closed to new applicants
60 ICICI Emeralde Private Metal 3,000 3 pts/₹100 in ICICI Reward Points at 1:1 · ₹12,499/yr · invite-only — not on open application
61 IndusInd PIONEER Private 3,000 3 pts/₹100 in IndusInd Reward Points at 1:1 · ₹25,000/yr · invite-only — not on open application
62 Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card 2,000 co-brand — earns Maharaja Points directly, no transfer · ₹0 — lifetime free · closed to new applicants
63 Air India SBI Platinum Card 2,000 co-brand — earns Maharaja Points directly, no transfer · ₹1,499/yr · closed to new applicants
64 Club Vistara SBI Card PRIME 2,000 co-brand — earns Maharaja Points directly, no transfer · ₹0/yr · ₹2,999 joining (one-time) · closed to new applicants
65 RBL Lumière 2,000 2 pts/₹100 in RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) at 1:1 · ₹50,000/yr · invite-only — not on open application
66 HDFC Infinia Metal 1,665 3.33 pts/₹100 in HDFC Reward Points at 2:1 · ₹12,500/yr · invite-only — not on open application
67 Club Vistara SBI Card 1,500 co-brand — earns Maharaja Points directly, no transfer · ₹0/yr · ₹1,499 joining (one-time) · closed to new applicants
68 HSBC Advance Platinum 1,333 1.333 pts/₹100 in HSBC Reward Points at 1:1 · ₹0 — lifetime free · closed to new applicants
69 Axis Bank Vistara Credit Card 1,000 co-brand — earns Maharaja Points directly, no transfer · ₹0 — lifetime free · closed to new applicants
70 HSBC Smart Value 1,000 1 pts/₹100 in HSBC Reward Points at 1:1 · ₹0 — lifetime free · closed to new applicants
71 IndusInd Indulge 750 1.5 pts/₹100 in IndusInd Reward Points at 2:1 · ₹75,000 joining, then ₹10,000/yr · invite-only — not on open application
72 YES Private Prime 667 10 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹20,000 joining, then ₹10,000/yr · invite-only — not on open application
73 YES Private 667 10 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹50,000 joining, then ₹10,000/yr · invite-only — not on open application
74 IndusInd Pioneer Heritage 500 1 pts/₹100 in IndusInd Reward Points at 2:1 · ₹1,00,000 joining, then ₹25,000/yr · invite-only — not on open application
75 Axis Bank Signature 400 1 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 5:2 · ₹1,500 joining, then ₹1,000/yr · closed to new applicants
76 YES First Preferred 267 4 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹999/yr · closed to new applicants
77 Samsung Axis Bank Infinite 250 5 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹5,000/yr · closed to new applicants
78 YES Bank anQ Phi 133 2 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹0 joining, then ₹499/yr · closed to new applicants
79 YES Prosperity Rewards 67 1 pts/₹100 in YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz) at 15:1 · ₹399/yr · closed to new applicants
80 Axis Bank Freecharge 25 0.5 pts/₹100 in Axis EDGE Reward Points at 20:1 · ₹250/yr · invite-only — not on open application

No route into Air India Maharaja Points

565 cards, each with the reason fold the 565 back up

How is this ranking computed?

For every card we take the points its base rate actually POSTS — the count on your statement, per ₹100, with its monthly reward cap applied, never a rate we have already scaled for what a point is worth — and multiply by the best ACTIVE route from its currency into Air India Maharaja Points at the ratio that specific card gets — variant ratios included, whitelisted routes honoured. A co-brand that earns Maharaja Points directly is listed at its face rate with no ratio at all. Base earn only: accelerators, milestones, tier bonuses and welcome offers are deliberately out, because they are card- and category-specific bets a "per ₹1L" number cannot honestly carry — the card pages and the calculator price those. Transfer minimums, transfer fees and posting times still apply per route; the transfer desk carries every one of them. Cards with no live route in are listed unranked below.

Straight answers

How many cards are in this air india miles ranking?

80 of the 973 Indian personal cards on the desk are ranked here. 565 are listed unranked with the computed reason — no route into air india maharaja points — because a card we can't rank honestly gets named, not hidden. A further 328 are carried but not valued at all — 51 with no annual fee any issuer document states, 231 whose issuer has not published how the card earns, 46 with neither — because scoring an unknown as ₹0 is a claim, not a gap. Business and corporate cards are ranked apart from these: 70 priced ones sit on /best/business, because pricing an MSME card against a personal wallet answers a question nobody asked (ADR 0012).

How up to date is this list?

The records behind this board — the ratios into Air India Maharaja Points we could re-read, and that program's house mark — carry re-verification dates from 11 Jul 2026 to 25 Sept 2026; the board is recomputed from them on every build. Nothing on this page is typed by hand: the podium, the table and the numbers in this answer are all recomputed from those records every time the site builds, so a devaluation moves the ranking the day we log it.

Which credit cards for Air India Maharaja Points have no annual fee?

13 of the 80 ranked here are lifetime free. The best on Maharaja Points per ₹1L is IndusInd Tiger at 1,000. This board's call, Axis Magnus for Burgundy, costs ₹30,000/yr and reaches 4,800 — that gap is what the fee buys.

Is Axis Magnus for Burgundy better than Kotak Solitaire?

On what this board ranks — Maharaja Points per ₹1L — yes: 4,800 against 3,000. That is the whole claim, and a narrow one. No card wins overall: 23 boards, 23 questions.

More best-of calls

More calls from the desk: