• The pilot was inaugurated by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD), in the presence of Puducherry Lieutenant (Lt.) Governor Kuniyil Kailashnathan and Puducherry Chief Minister (CM) N. Rangasamy.

About CBDC-Based PDS Pilot:
CBDC Type: The pilot uses Retail CBDC as programmable tokens credited to beneficiaries’ wallets for purpose-bound subsidy transfers.
Redemption: Tokens can be redeemed at Fair Price Shops (FPS) or authorized merchants, with feature phone users included for wider digital inclusion.
Tracing: Integration with the Digital Rupee (e₹) enables Real-Time Tracking (RTT) of transactions, enhancing transparency.
Integration: Supported by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Public Financial Management System (PFMS), and Canara Bank (CB), while addressing biometric authentication and electronic Point of Sale (e-POS) challenges.
Portability: Aligns with the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) and Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) Trinity frameworks, allowing beneficiaries to locate nearby merchants via a mobile application.