In a landmark shift, Bhutan’s Royal Monetary Authority has launched a pilot digital wallet program in the rural Dzongkhags of Mongar and Trashigang, aiming to reduce cash dependency and improve financial inclusion. The initiative allows farmers and shopkeepers to use QR-based payments even in remote villages.
Supported by the Bank of Bhutan and TashiCell, the service works on low-bandwidth networks and is gaining popularity among younger rural traders. Over 3,000 transactions were recorded in the first month.
This project can serve as a blueprint for remote districts in Nepal or India’s Northeast where physical banks are scarce but mobile connectivity is growing.