India is rolling out programmable CBDC tokens for Direct Benefit Transfers under the PMGKAY food subsidy program. Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli began full operationalization in August 2026, sending purpose-bound digital rupee into beneficiary wallets that can only be spent at approved merchants for foodgrains. This followed pilots in Gujarat (February 15) and Puducherry (February 26). On October 27, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra urged all states to onboard the Unified Lending Interface and route more DBT schemes through programmable CBDC to cut leakages and ensure funds are used as intended. No public statement from Indian officials specifically calling on the United States to adopt a programmable CBDC appears in recent reporting; RBI has separately advocated central-bank digital currencies over private stablecoins for cross-border use.
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2299535
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