India is expanding the use of its digital currency, the e-rupee, by piloting its application in approximately ten welfare programs. This initiative aims to distribute a portion of the country's $80 billion in subsidies and food benefits through the e-rupee, targeting a reduction in fund leakage and corruption while showcasing practical use cases for the central bank digital currency (CBDC). In parallel, the Reserve Bank of India is working on a proposal for cross-border CBDC interoperability, which is set to be presented at the 2026 BRICS summit. This proposal seeks to enhance the efficiency of cross-border trade settlements and reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar. Currently, the e-rupee has about 10 million users and a cumulative transaction volume of $3.6 billion, which is modest compared to India's UPI system that handles approximately $300 billion in transactions monthly.