India’s SEBI plans tokenization, DLT pilots for corporate bonds

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has officially confirmed plans to launch a pilot program for tokenizing corporate bonds using distributed ledger technology. As outlined in its annual report, the regulator aims to leverage blockchain to achieve faster settlement, improved operational efficiencies, and enhanced programmability via smart contracts. The initiative also seeks to explore integration with India's central bank digital currency (CBDC) for settlement mechanisms. SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey indicated that the trial will operate on a limited scale over a six to nine-month period. This move is intended to address fragmentation within the Indian corporate bond market, which has historically lagged behind sovereign and financial institution issuances in the digital space. While global precedents like Siemens' €360 million issuance and POSCO International's $100 million bond demonstrate the potential for corporate blockchain adoption, India's pilot will build upon existing infrastructure like the CBDC and Asset Tokenisation (CAT) Sandbox. By testing these technologies, SEBI aims to modernize debt market infrastructure and align with broader digital financial trends.