India Prepares for First Tokenised Corporate Bond

India is taking another step towards integrating blockchain technology into its mainstream financial markets. The country is preparing to launch its first tokenised corporate bond, a significant milestone in the adoption of distributed ledger technology within regulated financial infrastructure.

The initiative comes as Indian regulators explore how tokenisation can make financial markets more efficient, transparent, and accessible. REC Ltd., a state-managed company, is expected to be the first issuer under the pilot, with the proposed issuance likely to include a tokenised corporate bond worth less than Rs. 500 crore.

The issuance is planned for September 2026, although the timeline hasn't been formally announced by the REC or the regulators. The securities will be recorded using DLT, allowing ownership of the tokenised bonds to be maintained digitally.