Which Indian cards still give airport lounge access without quarterly spend conditions?

Fewer every year. Through 2025 and 2026 most issuers moved domestic lounge access behind quarterly spend thresholds. As of mid-2026, these were the patterns I found when comparing cards. Always check the current terms before applying:

• HSBC TravelOne: domestic and international lounge visits without a quarterly spend gate, for a mid-range annual fee.
• HSBC Premier Metal: unlimited domestic and international access with guest visits, but tied to an HSBC Premier banking relationship.
• IndusInd: most cards (including Pinnacle and similar) moved to quarterly spend gates for domestic lounges from July 2026. The invite-only Pioneer Private and Pioneer Heritage cards kept unlimited access, but they're for high-net-worth relationships.
• Premium banking debit cards: private or wealth banking tiers at several banks come with debit cards that include domestic and international lounge access without card-spend conditions. This is often the easiest route if you already qualify for the relationship.

Tips:

• Compare by visits per year and guest access, not just "lounge access: yes".
• Check the network variant. Some perks (LoungeKey, certain dining programmes) apply only to the Mastercard or only to the Visa version of the same card.
• Children don't have cards. Families often end up paying for kids, so check whether guest visits are included.