The Reserve Bank of India is considering running a series of pilot programs for a proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC) Deputy Governor T. Rabi Sankar said.

• The deputy governor said in a speech Thursday that the central bank was weighing a "phased introduction" of a digital rupee to allow time for required legal changes to the country's foreign-exchange rules, according to a Bloomberg report.
• Sankar said a CBDC would reduce the use of cash and protect citizens from the volatility of cryptocurrencies.
• The RBI published a report in March highlighting the benefits of a CBDC for financial inclusion and drawbacks related to raising the cost of lending through commercial banks.
• While India's government has previously shown intent to ban cryptocurrencies outright, the mood has changed somewhat in recent months with signs of country taking a more lenient approach and seeking to regulate the crypto market.