Government Securities: RBI mobile app to make G-Secs transactions easy for retail investors soon

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a mobile application to simplify the process of investing in government securities (G-Secs) and treasury bills (T-Bills) for retail investors.

Retail investors can conduct G-Sec transactions using the mobile app on their smartphones, The app can be downloaded from the Play Store of Google Android mobile users. The app is likely to be available for use shortly.

Those using iPhone iOS can download it from the App Store. Also, the mobile app can be downloaded using a quick response (QR) code,

Typically, G-Secs are investment instruments issued by the government to raise funds. They offer a low-risk investment avenue with fixed interest rates.

Similarly, T-Bills are short-term securities with maturities of less than 12 months. G-Secs are for longer durations comparatively.

It is expected that the app will enhance transparency and efficiency in the G-Secs market. Also, it may cut transaction costs for retail investors, adding to the appeal of G-Sec investments.

Steps to use the RBI Retail Direct mobile app.

• Visit the Google Play Store for Android mobile users or the Apple app store for iOS users to download the RBI Retail Direct mobile app
• Create a Retail Direct Gilt (RDG) account with the RBI. Key in details such as full name, permanent account number (PAN), mobile number, email address, and residential address
• Log into the app and select the 'primary market' option near the dashboard to start G-Secs transactions
• Investors can choose a G-Sec to bid on from the 'auction watch' and enter the bid amount in the 'bid entry' window
• Investors can fund their bids either at the time of bidding or before the closure of the bidding or subscription window via services like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and net-banking.
• Based on auction results, retail investors will receive allotments either in full or partial depending d on the bidding process