India is piloting 10 schemes to test whether its CBDC, the e-rupee, can deliver welfare payments more efficiently

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TLDR

  • India is running 10 pilot schemes to test the e-rupee as a channel for delivering government welfare payments.

Key Facts

  • India’s central bank digital currency is called the e-rupee.
  • Ten pilot schemes are underway to evaluate whether the e-rupee can distribute welfare more efficiently.
  • One pilot involves a farmer in the western Indian village of Phulenagar who used funds for drip irrigation on his onion farm.
  • The pilots are part of a broader push to increase e-rupee usage.

Why It Matters

  • India’s welfare system has long faced leakage problems; a CBDC channel could reduce losses if pilots show measurable efficiency gains.
  • Results from these pilots may shape how India scales or adjusts its e-rupee rollout.

Reuters · 2026-04-24 · Read the original