Indian Firms Accelerate Push Into Tokenised Real-World Assets As Institutional Demand Rises

Indian blockchain firms, crypto exchanges and enterprise technology companies are increasingly pivoting toward tokenisation of real-world assets, betting that blockchain-based financial infrastructure will become the next major growth area for the digital asset industry. The shift comes as the global market for tokenised real-world assets, or RWAs, expands rapidly, driven by institutional interest in blockchain-based versions of treasuries, private credit, commodities and other traditional financial instruments.

Industry estimates place the value of tokenised assets on public blockchains at between $19 billion and $27 billion in 2026, compared with only a fraction of that market two years ago. Indian firms are now exploring tokenisation models for government securities, invoices and trade finance, fractional real estate, gold-backed products, carbon credits and private credit instruments.

Executives say the growing focus reflects a broader transition away from speculative crypto trading toward blockchain infrastructure designed for institutional finance. Tokenisation is increasingly being viewed as financial plumbing rather than a crypto experiment, analysts in the ecosystem point out. Several Indian firms are also studying programmable settlement systems and tokenised treasury products as global institutions move toward 24/7 blockchain-based capital markets.

Large asset managers and global financial institutions, including BlackRock and Franklin Templeton have expanded tokenised fund offerings over the past year, helping to validate the sector for institutional investors. Indian industry participants say tokenisation could help reduce settlement friction, improve transparency and widen investor access to traditionally illiquid assets.

Regulatory uncertainty, however, remains a major hurdle. India currently lacks a formal framework governing tokenised securities or blockchain-based financial assets, and industry executives say progress will depend heavily on whether regulators treat tokenisation as financial infrastructure rather than speculative crypto activity. The growing interest in RWAs also reflects concerns among Indian exchanges and Web3 firms that retail crypto trading volumes alone may not provide sustainable long-term growth.