BRICS: CBDCs at the Heart of a New Cross-Border Payments Project

Money transfers between countries remain a central topic for the BRICS. In Mumbai, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Sanjay Malhotra, indicated that several avenues are being studied to facilitate these operations. Among them is the connection of CBDCs and fast payment systems. Discussions are still in their early stages. The main goal concerns mainly the reduction of costs. This reflection comes as India also seeks to strengthen the international use of its national currency.

The BRICS explore several solutions for payments

At an event in Mumbai, Sanjay Malhotra, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, explained that cross-border transfers regularly feature among the BRICS priorities. According to him, several options are currently being examined, without a final decision yet. The first possibility concerns the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), while another relies on the interconnection of fast payment systems. These two approaches aim to make transfers clearer between participating economies.

The governor especially emphasized the possible savings. Cross-border payments represent, according to him, an area where the BRICS could seek to reduce costs.

Cross-border payments are an area of interest for all of us, including the BRICS, as we believe there is considerable potential for cost reduction.

Sanjay Malhotra, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Source: Reuters.

A more direct connection between national infrastructures could limit some current steps. However, the group officials have not yet settled on the model that would enable this interconnection.

India also wants to strengthen the rupee

India is simultaneously continuing its efforts to internationalize the rupee and encourage the use of local currencies. Sanjay Malhotra recalled this orientation during the event held in Mumbai. The country is hosting this year the BRICS summit, which brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The proposal to link CBDCs had already been submitted by the RBI last January to be included on the agenda for the 2026 summit.

This approach therefore aligns with India’s objectives regarding cross-border payments and trade. It could also give more space to national currencies in these exchanges. However, discussions remain preliminary, and no common architecture has yet been defined. The governor announced no timeline, leaving open questions related to technical standards, common rules, and future joint operation in the longer term.

CBDCs: reducing costs while raising questions of control?

CBDCs are the digital versions of official currencies issued directly by central banks. Their interconnection would create a channel dedicated to transfers between several countries. Payments could follow more direct paths and reduce reliance on some intermediaries. The system would seek to speed up international operations.

Consumers and businesses could use these transfers via the national circuits they already know. For the BRICS, the challenge also concerns the ability to facilitate exchanges between local currencies. Common adoption remains uncertain, however.

However, this centralized architecture raises questions about payment privacy. The competent institutions could have increased visibility over transactions and financial flows. Privacy protection is therefore a point to consider in any interconnection.

The programmable nature of CBDCs adds another question to the debate. Authorities could then intervene more in the circulation of funds or condition certain uses. This possibility thus raises the question of the balance between institutional control, payment efficiency, and financial freedoms.

In the short term, members should clarify technical options and cooperation modalities. The next BRICS summit could continue discussions on cross-border payments without prejudging their outcome. In the coming months, discussions will need to clarify technical conditions and common rules. The BRICS summit could thus serve to examine this cooperation more concretely, while leaving open the question of its timeline and implementation.