National Council of Applied Economic Research
We review arguments for CBDC issuance in India. These include facilitating payments, enhancing financial inclusion, enabling the central bank and government to retain control of the payments system, facilitating cross-border payments, reducing dependence on the dollar-dominated global payments system, providing an encompassing platform for digital financial innovation. We then compare progress in India with other countries. In setting an end 2022 target date for issuance, India is in line with the other BRICS, but not with other countries with comparable levels of per capita GDP, which have been more reluctant to commit to a date. Nor is it in line with other countries with comparably independent central banks, which have been more cautious about setting a deadline. Finally, we sketch a roadmap and timeline for India’s CBDC project going forward.
We review arguments for CBDC issuance in India. These include facilitating payments, enhancing financial inclusion, enabling the central bank and government to retain control of the payments system, facilitating cross-border payments, reducing dependence on the dollar-dominated global payments system, providing an encompassing platform for digital financial innovation. We then compare progress in India with other... Read More
Barry Eichengreen is George C. Pardee and Helen N. Pardee Chair and Distinguished Professor of Economics and Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1987. He is a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (Cambridge, Massachusetts) and Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic... Read More
Poonam Gupta is the Director General of National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), India’s largest economic policy think tank; a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister; and Convener of the Advisory Council to the 16th Finance Commission. She joined NCAER in 2021 after working at senior positions for nearly two... Read More
