India, New Delhi — April 18, 1990Ministry of Finance Conference Hall
Aryan stood before a semicircle of finance officials, Reserve Bank of India tech leads, and representatives from his newly formed National Cyber Authority. On the projector screen behind him was a glowing symbol: ₹ encircled in blue.
"Gentlemen, the world is entering the age of digital currency. Let's not follow… let's lead."
Whispers filled the room.
The Finance Secretary leaned forward.
"Are you proposing we eliminate cash?"
Aryan shook his head.
"Not eliminate — but build something smarter. The Digital Rupee."
He paused, then walked to the whiteboard.
"We'll issue a sovereign-backed, programmable digital currency—every transaction will be transparent, traceable, and tax-friendly. Unlike cash, this won't disappear into shadows."
The Digital Rupee Blueprint
Aryan laid it out clearly:
Every Indian will have a Digital Rupee Wallet, connected to their Aadhar Card.
No need for smartphones: Smart Cards and Fingerprint-verified POS machines will allow villagers and shopkeepers to transact digitally.
Smart contracts built into payments: scholarships released only if attendance is verified, subsidies issued directly to farmers without middlemen.
Real-time GST (Goods & Services Tax) auto-calculation at every digital sale point.
Dr. Nalini Rao, the RBI's cryptography consultant, leaned in:
"Sir, won't this destroy black money?"
Aryan replied:
"Not destroy. Disarm. If we build a parallel economy of trust, the shadows will flee by themselves."
Introducing DeshNet — India's National Internet Grid
As the meeting transitioned, Aryan unveiled the second half of the plan.
"Digital Rupee won't survive without digital roads. That's why we're launching DeshNet — a sovereign, secure fiber optic backbone that will connect every district HQ, rural hub, and key public institution in India."
The features:
100% government-owned core routing infrastructure
Satellite support in remote areas via ISRO's Phoenix-Class Mini-Sats
Priority connections for schools, banks, courts, village info-centers
National Data Centers in Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, and Kolkata
Integrated cybersecurity protocols from Bureau of Sovereignty Protection (BSP)
The final goal? Every Indian village online by 1995.
April 27, 1990 — Aryan's Speech at the National Economic Forum
Live broadcast. Aryan stood before India's top economists, bankers, and industrialists.
"When the British came, they laid train tracks to take away our wealth.Now we will lay fiber to bring prosperity to every doorstep."
"With Aadhar, we've given every citizen a name.With Digital Rupee, we'll give them dignity.And with DeshNet, we'll give them a voice."
Immediate Reactions
The stock market jumped 12% in 4 days.
Small-scale retailers in Pune and Surat began adopting basic fingerprint payment systems.
China's intelligence agencies expressed concern at the DeshNet encryption standards being deployed.
The IMF issued a curious statement: "India's digital gamble is the most radical leap we've ever tracked in a developing economy."
System Reward Notification
That night, as Aryan reviewed the DeshNet expansion plan, a voice chimed inside his head.
[Ding! Congratulations, user. Task Completed: Launch of India's Digital Backbone.]
[Reward: Next-gen Encryption Architecture — Quantum Mesh Type 2][Reward: GeoNet Subtask Access Unlocked]
Aryan raised an eyebrow. "GeoNet?"
The screen blinked with a small note:
GeoNet: A tactical asset for sovereign information warfare. Awaiting further national stabilization.