India CBDC pilot may commence in December, says RBI governor

Published at: Aug. 27, 2021

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) could commence preliminary central bank digital currency (CBDC) trials before the end of the year.

Speaking to CNBC on Thursday, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said that the central bank was “being extremely careful” in its handling of a potential digital rupee, even as its counterparts around the world have been exploring their own sovereign digital currencies.

According to Das, the RBI’s focus is on examining the potential impact of a digital rupee on India’s financial sector, with issues such a monetary policy control high on the agenda.

On the technical side, the RBI governor also revealed that the central bank was weighing the merits of utilizing a centralized or decentralized ledger for its proposed CBDC.

Providing a likely timeline for the next phase of the project, Das remarked, “I think by the end of the year, we should be able to […] be in a position, perhaps, to start our first trials.”

The RBI governor’s comments are in keeping with recent remarks from other central bank officials in the country about the progress of the planned digital rupee project.

As previously reported by Cointelegraph, RBI deputy governor Rabi Sankar stated back in July that the central bank was leaning toward a phased implementation strategy for its CBDC project.

Related: IMF, World Bank and BIS champion central bank digital currencies at G20

With global financial bodies such as the Bank for International Settlements pushing for CBDCs as a counter to cryptocurrencies and private stablecoins, several central banks are developing their own national digital currencies.

According to the Atlantic Council back in July, countries representing 90% of the entire global gross domestic product are in several stages of CBDC exploration.

Among the major global economies, China continues to lead the way in the CBDC race with multiple pilot programs to incentivize the adoption of its e-yuan. Other countries in Asia are also moving forward with their digital currency plans.

International cooperation is also another major talking point in the CBDC space, with regional digital currency initiatives taking shape in Asia and the Caribbean.

Tags
Technology
Blockchain
Central Bank
Cbdc
India
Reserve Bank Of India
Related Posts
Reserve Bank of India mulls first steps toward an eventual CBDC
The Reserve Bank of India, or RBI, continues to investigate the issuance of a central bank digital currency, or CBDC. T Rabi Sankar, the deputy governor of RBI, said in a speech organized by the Vidhi Center for Legal Policy that private digital currencies could be part of what makes CBDCs ultimately necessary. He felt that the RBI’s development of it’s own CBDC could provide the public with many of the same uses as digital currencies such as Bitcoin, while limiting the average user’s exposure to volatility. He stated: “Indeed, this could be the key factor nudging central banks from …
Technology / July 22, 2021
Draft of India’s National DLT Strategy Calls for State-Run Digital Rupee
A draft of India’s national strategy on blockchain and distributed ledger technology suggests a central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital Indian rupee, and a national blockchain. The National Institute for Smart Governance (NISG), a non-profit public body incorporated by the government of India, has published a draft document on the country’s national blockchain strategy. Issued on Dec. 30, the document appears to have been published recently as major local publications such as The Economic Times of India reported on the draft strategy on Jan. 28. Digital rupee should be issued on a national blockchain of India In the document, …
Blockchain / Jan. 28, 2020
India to introduce 30% crypto tax, digital rupee CBDC by 2022-23
In a speech discussing the budget for 2022, Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the launch of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) by 2022-23 as means to boost the country’s economic growth. Sitharaman highlighted the need for digital inclusion across numerous business verticals while announcing the fund allocation set in the Union Budget. Speaking about the launch of a digital rupee, she added that the introduction of a CBDC will provide a “big boost” to the digital economy. She also highlighted the possibility of a more efficient and cheaper currency management system made possible by digital currencies. “It is …
Adoption / Feb. 1, 2022
CBDCs can “kill” private crypto: India’s RBI deputy governor to IMF
In discussion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), T Rabi Sankar, the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), reflected an anti-crypto stance as he spoke about India’s potential to disrupt the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. Rabi Sankar started the conversation by highlighting the success of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India’s in-house fiat-based peer-to-peer payments system, which has seen an average adoption and transaction growth of 160% per anum over the last five years. “One of the reasons it is so successful is because it’s simple,” he added while comparing UPI’s growth with blockchain technology. According to …
Adoption / June 4, 2022
India’s central bank outlines digital rupee CBDC plans
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has outlined proposed features and reasoning behind its in-development central bank digital currency (CBDC) in a 51-page note published on Oct. 7. The country’s central bank is looking to raise awareness of CBDCs, which are being developed by a number of central banks around the world, and to clearly define the objectives and choices as well as potential positive and negative elements of introducing a digital rupee in India. The document summarizes the key motivations for the issuance of an Indian CBDC, highlighting trust, safety, liquidity as well as settlement finality and integrity as …
Adoption / Oct. 7, 2022