NABKISAN Lists India’s First WASH Social Bond on NSE: Key Facts for Exams

NABKISAN Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of NABARD, listed what is described as India’s first social bond dedicated exclusively to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) on the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai on 2 October 2026. The issue raised ₹180 crore. It matters for exam preparation because it combines rural finance, sustainable-finance instruments and a basic-services theme in one Economy and Banking item.

As of 3 October 2026, the listing is a completed event. The source article we relied on is dated 3 October 2026, a day after the listing date it reports.

NABKISAN WASH social bond: key facts

What the bond is meant to fund

Use of proceeds

The money is intended for projects that widen rural access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. The source links this financing to better health, livelihoods and quality of life through WASH infrastructure and services.

What WASH covers

WASH stands for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. It covers safe drinking water, sanitation facilities and hygiene-related services, with particular attention to rural and underserved communities.

Exam-relevant concepts explained

Social bonds

A social bond is a debt instrument whose proceeds are earmarked for projects with a stated social purpose. The source says such instruments in India are issued in the corporate bond market. They usually follow a use-of-proceeds framework for areas such as health, education, housing and basic services. They belong to the wider family of sustainable-finance instruments, alongside green bonds and sustainability bonds.

Coupon, tenor and oversubscription

• Coupon: the interest rate the issuer pays on the bond, here reported as 8.10%.
• Tenor: the time until repayment. This bond is a five-year instrument maturing in September 2031.
• Oversubscription of 1.8 times: investors asked for more than the amount offered.

Credit ratings

The source says CRISIL AAA (Stable) and CARE AAA (Stable) are the highest domestic ratings these agencies assign. A rating is an agency’s opinion of repayment capacity, not a guarantee.

Quick revision points

• NABKISAN Finance Ltd is a NABARD subsidiary; NABARD stands for National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.
• The listing was on the NSE in Mumbai on 2 October 2026.
• The theme is WASH, and the instrument is a social bond.
• Water.org is named as technical advisor and knowledge partner.

This is a summary of reported facts. It does not suggest that any question on this topic will appear in an exam.

Evidence limits

The facts above rest on a single secondary source, a GKToday current-affairs article. The PIB page supplied alongside it showed no release for this item, so no official government or exchange document confirms the details. The claim of being “India’s first” WASH social bond is that article’s description and has not been independently checked here. The source does not give the issue-opening date, the allotment date, the investor mix or the exact use-of-proceeds framework. Readers who need exact figures should check the NSE listing or NABKISAN’s own disclosures.

FAQ

When was the NABKISAN WASH social bond listed?

It was listed on 2 October 2026 on the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai, according to the source dated 3 October 2026.

How much did the bond raise, and on what terms?

It raised ₹180 crore as a five-year bond with an 8.10% coupon, maturing in September 2031.

Who is the issuer?

NABKISAN Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of NABARD.