India | Central Bank Governor Shares CBDC Vision

Outgoing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Gov.Shaktikanta Das reaffirmed his vision for India’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital rupee, as the nation’s currency continues to reach a record low against the US dollar. While hailed as the “future of currency” and praisedfor its potential economic benefits, the CBDC raises serious concerns. It grants the state unprecedented power to surveil transactions, freeze funds, and block payments in real-time — an alarming reality in a country already known for freezing opposition bank accounts and imposing rigid KYC requirements. Das’s hopes of a CBDC to “underpin the payment systems of the future” prioritizes state control at the expense of individual freedoms.