RBI's offline digital rupee is here: Pay with e₹ even without internet
- IBEF
- October 14, 2025
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched the offline digital rupee (e₹), a major step in India’s digital finance journey, announced at the Global Fintech Fest 2025 in Mumbai. The e₹ is India’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), functioning like digital cash with the same trust as physical currency. Issued directly by the RBI and stored in secure digital wallets provided by banks, it allows instant person-to-person and person-to-merchant payments without requiring constant internet connectivity. The pilot includes 15 banks, including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Union Bank of India, offering wallets that can be downloaded via Google Play Store or Apple App Store. The e₹ also features offline payments using minimal network signals or NFC-based tap technology, ensuring transactions can be made in remote or rural areas.
Beyond convenience, e₹ introduces programmable features, enabling funds to be restricted for specific purposes, expiry dates, geolocations, or merchant categories. This functionality is already deployed in select government schemes such as Gujarat’s G-SAFAL and Andhra Pradesh’s DEEPAM 2.0 for targeted subsidy delivery. RBI Governor Mr. Sanjay Malhotra highlighted that the digital rupee complements India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, strengthening financial inclusion and supporting the growth of the FinTech ecosystem. With offline and programmable capabilities, India is among the first countries to operationalize a CBDC usable anywhere, supporting secure, scalable, and efficient financial services while expanding access in underserved regions.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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