India's REC set to debut tokenised corporate bond sale next week, bankers say

India's state-owned Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) is preparing to launch a tokenized corporate bond sale scheduled for next week, marking a significant step in the digitization of Indian debt markets. By leveraging blockchain technology for this issuance, REC aims to streamline the settlement process and enhance transparency for institutional investors. This move reflects a broader trend among major Indian financial entities to explore distributed ledger technology to reduce operational friction and costs associated with traditional bond issuance. The initiative is expected to attract a diverse range of participants by offering a more efficient digital infrastructure for debt securities. As a state-backed entity, REC's adoption of tokenization signals growing institutional confidence in blockchain-based financial instruments within the Indian regulatory framework. This development is particularly noteworthy as it demonstrates the practical application of tokenization in sovereign-linked corporate debt, potentially setting a precedent for future public sector issuances. The successful execution of this sale could catalyze further adoption of RWA tokenization across the region's capital markets.