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India’s e rupee pilots channel welfare money while RBI readies BRICS digital currency push for 2026 summit
Business
Published on 25 April 2026
Subsidies become spendable only at approved vendors
India is accelerating adoption of the e-rupee by routing parts of its $80 billion welfare system through 10 pilot programs, including programmable subsidies spendable only at approved vendors. While usage remains far below UPI, India is also urging BRICS CBDC linkage ahead of the 2026 summit, aiming for interoperability and reduced reliance on the US dollar—amid geopolitical and trade risks.
- Welfare subsidies are being routed through 10 e-rupee pilots
- Programmable spending rules restrict use to approved vendors
- India targets BRICS CBDC interoperability at the 2026 summit
- Geopolitical pressure and UPI competition threaten momentum
Read the full story at IndianWeb2
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
IndianWeb2