India hopes to roll out a CBDC nationwide by the end of 2023, according to people familiar with the matter. Last year, India has launched two CBDC pilot projects, one is the CBDC-W that started on November 1 last year, with the participation of 9 banks, and the other is the CBDC-R that started on December 1 last year, which was piloted in 4 cities. 4 banks participated.
While CBDC-W is limited to financial institutions and aims to improve the efficiency of interbank payments, CBDC-R is suitable for the private sector and citizens of India. While the government has told parliament that India will issue a CBDC-R within the 2022-23 financial year, it is not yet known when it will be implemented.