Grain ATMs and Digital Wallets: How India’s First CBDC-Based PDS Could Redefine Food Security
On the banks of the Sabarmati a quiet but potentially transformative reform in India s welfare architecture has taken shape Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched the country s first Central Bank Digital Currency CBDC -based Public Distribution System PDS at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar Gujarat With this initiative Gujarat has become the first state to integrate the Reserve Bank of India-authorised digital rupee into food grain distribution At its heart the reform seeks to answer a long-standing challenge how to ensure that subsidised food grains reach the rightful beneficiary without leakage corruption or delay For millions of families dependent on ration supplies under welfare schemes this question is not abstract it determines daily meals and household survival Why the Shift to a CBDC-Based PDS India operates the world s largest food security program with nearly crore beneficiaries receiving subsidised or free rations under various schemes However the
