The Indian state of Maharashtra will soon launch a regulatory sandbox to explore blockchain on various platforms. The state government is planning to test the technology in supply chains, agricultural sector, vehicle registration, and documentation. This regulatory sandbox will be all set within five to six months of duration.

The Directorate of Maharashtra Information Technology has undertaken this development. The government has reserved around 100 million rupees (~$1.4 million) for blockchain from 2019-2020. Also, the implementation committee has officially agreed for 40 million rupees ($560,000). So far, the state government completed its first blockchain test in health, supply chain, documents, and SSC certification. Now it intends to explore its possibilities in various government sectors.

Despite many ongoing crypto scams and confusions, the Indian states are slowly but surely finding their ways to the blockchain. Even the government bodies are showing interest in this technology. In June, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced to develop a blockchain banking platform and will launch it in 2020. This new platform will cater to banking needs and will host various blockchain applications.

It is ironical to see India embracing the blockchain technology and still discouraging crypto usage. Earlier this month, the inter-ministerial committee had submitted a draft crypto bill in India to the supreme court. The draft law carried a criminalized clause for the use of private cryptocurrencies. However, the Supreme Court has set a new date to hear the case relating to crypto regulation.