If you care even a little about fixed‑income, 2026 is an awkwardly good time to be paying attention.
The RBI has already done the heavy lifting on rate cuts – the repo rate sits at 5.25% after a series of reductions in 2025. Headline inflation has dropped into the lower half of the 2–6% band, with recent readings closer to 2–3% than to 6%. The 10‑year government bond yield has eased off its peak and is hovering in the mid‑6% range rather than threatening 8%.
Corporate bonds ride on top of this. High‑quality issuers in the 3–7‑year bucket still offer a tidy premium over G‑secs and over most fixed deposits. In other words, the asset class is doing its bit.
Access, until recently, was the weak link. For years, you either bought the odd public NCD issue from your broker, or you went through a relationship manager and hoped they weren’t just dumping inventory. That’s now shifting fast. SEBI’s framework for Online Bond Platform Providers (OBPPs) has dragged online bond distribution into a proper regulatory regime, and a handful of specialist platforms have quietly turned corporate bonds into something you can handle from your phone.
Table of Contents
The backdrop: low-ish inflation, range‑bound yields and a deeper bond market
Before arguing about platforms, it helps to be clear on why they matter now.
- Policy and inflation: After a punishing hiking cycle, the RBI cut the repo rate in several steps through 2025 to 5.25%. With inflation having cooled into the 2–3% area recently, real policy rates are positive again – without being so high that they smother growth.
- Yields: The 10‑year G‑sec, which was threatening much higher levels in 2023, has settled into a band somewhere around 6.5–6.8%. It moves, of course, with news on government borrowing, global rates and inflation, but the mood is no longer “higher for longer at all costs”.
- Corporate spreads: In the 1–5‑year segment, AAA and AA corporate borrowers often pay 80–150 basis points over comparable G‑secs. That means 7–8% yields are still very much on the table for decent‑quality names, which, against 2–3% inflation, is not something to ignore.
- Market depth is expanding quickly, and companies are increasingly turning to capital markets instead of relying only on banks. For investors trying to understand how debt markets connect to broader corporate growth plans, insights from experienced business funding experts can add useful context to the bigger picture. Outstanding corporate bonds are now in the region of ₹50–55 lakh crore, and policymakers are explicit that they want this to be a main financing channel, not a sideshow.
Against that backdrop, the bottleneck isn’t “are bonds worth it?”, so much as “can ordinary investors access them properly, with reasonable information and control?”
That’s where these seven platforms come in.
1. Altifi – bond‑first, goal‑oriented, and built for 2026
Altifi is probably the clearest example of what a “bond‑first” platform looks like in India today.
Unlike the big broker apps where bonds are buried under equities, F&O and mutual funds, Altifi starts from fixed‑income and builds outwards. The design assumption is that you are here primarily to construct an income stream and a maturity ladder, not to punt.
Core features
- Curated bond universe
Altifi does not simply spray every obscure line item from the wholesale bond market onto your screen. The platform focuses on a curated list of listed corporate bonds and other regulated fixed‑income instruments that pass its internal filters on documentation and suitability.
You still get choice – issuers across financials, large corporates and select mid‑sized names – but it feels like a considered menu, not a firehose. - Bond‑centric interface
The app is structured around the questions bond investors actually ask:- What yield am I locking in?
- What’s the rating and who is the issuer?
- Is this secured or subordinated?
- When do I get my coupons and principal back?
Search and filters revolve around yield‑to‑maturity, maturity band, rating, issuer profile and coupon frequency. You feel like you’re in a bond shop, not a stock app with a “fixed‑income” side lane.
- Low minimums, easy laddering
Minimum investment sizes are typically set low enough that a serious retail or affluent investor can spread capital across 8–12 bonds without stress. That makes it possible to:- Build a 1–7‑year ladder,
- Diversify across issuers and sectors,
- Keep position sizes sensible relative to net worth.
- Cash‑flow visibility
Altifi places a lot of emphasis on showing upcoming coupon dates, expected cash‑flows and maturity schedules. In a world where RBI has already done most of the cutting and yields are likely to be range‑bound, this focus on carry and cash‑flow management is arguably more useful than a flashy chart of yesterday’s price.
Fees and economics
Altifi presents itself as a zero‑entry‑fee, no‑hidden‑charges app from the user’s perspective for most standard secondary‑market transactions. As with all such platforms, commercial viability comes from a mix of issuer‑side economics, spreads and partnership arrangements, rather than explicit brokerage slapped on each ticket.
The important bit for you is less the exact revenue model and more the all‑in yield you see; that’s ultimately what you should compare across platforms.
Who Altifi is best suited for
Altifi hits a sweet spot if:
- You genuinely want bonds to be a core part of your portfolio, not an afterthought.
- You care about goal‑based cash‑flows – funding school fees, a house down‑payment, retirement income – and want a clear view of how each bond contributes.
- You prefer a clean, app‑first design without giving up on meaningful fixed‑income detail.
It is, to be candid, one of the easiest platforms to recommend as a default choice for someone who says, “I want to build a proper corporate bond ladder; where should I even start?”
2. GoldenPi – the bond supermarket with wide coverage
If Altifi feels like an edited boutique, GoldenPi is more like a large, well‑lit bond supermarket.
GoldenPi has been in the game longer than many peers and has restructured itself under SEBI’s OBPP framework as a registered debt broker. It was one of the first platforms to push the idea that an ordinary investor could browse dozens or hundreds of bonds online, not just whatever NCD their broker happened to be pushing that month.
Core features
- Very broad inventory
GoldenPi usually showcases a deep list of listed corporate bonds and debentures available in the secondary market at any given time, along with ongoing primary issues. If there is a halfway liquid corporate bond out there that’s accessible to individuals, there’s a decent chance it will show up here. - Powerful filters and search
You can slice the universe by rating (AAA down to lower grades), issuer type (PSU, private corporate, NBFC, etc.), maturity band, coupon type and yield range. For investors who want to fine‑tune ladders – say, specifically target AA 3–4‑year paper in financials – this granularity is handy. - Integration into other apps
GoldenPi’s infrastructure underlies bond offerings inside some other fintech apps and broker platforms. An investor might first meet its inventory under a partner’s brand before realising where it comes from.
Fees and pricing
GoldenPi’s economics are similar to most OBPPs: the headline cost for the investor is embedded in the yield and spread, rather than spelled out as a separate commission line on every trade. You’ll find the occasional fee for specific services, but the key is to compare yield‑to‑maturity across platforms for the same ISIN if you’re being very precise.
Who GoldenPi is best suited for
GoldenPi tends to work well if:
- You want to see as much of the corporate bond universe as practically possible in one place.
- You’re comfortable working with a slightly more information‑dense interface.
- You enjoy picking from a wide range rather than being handed a single short‑list.
In practice, quite a few investors use GoldenPi as a secondary reference point, even if they keep Altifi or another platform as their main base, simply to check what else is out there.
3. IndiaBonds – zero‑brokerage pitch and education‑led approach
IndiaBonds has carved out a position as a very retail‑friendly OBPP, with a strong narrative around “zero brokerage” on secondary bond trades and a lot of energy invested in explaining bonds to first‑timers.
Core features
- Mobile‑first experience
IndiaBonds leans heavily into its app, with quick KYC, demat linking and a reasonably smooth purchase flow. Corporate bonds share space with government and quasi‑sovereign issues, but the interface keeps the categories clean. - Education and content
Tutorials, videos, explainers and campaign‑style “Bond School” content are a big part of the brand. The tone is more “let’s walk you through this step by step” than “you are already a pro”. - Product range
The platform offers a mix of high‑grade corporate bonds, some higher‑yield names, and a selection of government‑linked paper. You do need to pay attention to ratings and structures, but the basic segmentation is clear.
Fees and pricing
IndiaBonds’ headline promise is zero brokerage on bond purchases, particularly in the secondary market. That doesn’t mean trading is “free” in an economic sense – spreads and issuer economics always exist – but from the user side, you’re not seeing a separate 0.5% commission line on your contract note.
As always, the best way to sanity‑check is to compare yields on the same bond across at least two platforms before pulling the trigger, if your ticket size justifies the time.
Who IndiaBonds is best suited for
IndiaBonds tends to work for:
- Investors making their first serious foray into direct bonds, who appreciate a lot of contextual education.
- People who like clear messaging on explicit charges, even if the economics in the background are more nuanced.
- Those who want a single app for both corporate and sovereign bonds and aren’t fussed about slicing the world too finely.
If Altifi feels like a slightly more “professional” fixed‑income cockpit, IndiaBonds is closer to a friendly guided tour – which is not a bad thing at all if you’re just starting out.
4. BondsIndia – comparison‑heavy for hands‑on users
BondsIndia positions itself somewhere between a retail platform and a light institutional tool.
Core features
- Side‑by‑side comparisons
The interface is clearly built for people who like to look at multiple bonds at once. You can line up various corporate bonds and quickly compare yield, coupon, maturity, rating and issuer in a grid. - Mixed audience
The platform talks as much to wealth managers and smaller treasuries as it does to individual investors. That seeps into the look and feel: a bit more serious, a bit less “fintech marketing”. - Blend of corporate and sovereign
Corporate bonds and government securities are both visible, which helps if you’re calibrating how much incremental yield you’re getting by taking on corporate risk versus sticking to G‑secs or SDLs.
Fees and pricing
BondsIndia follows the familiar model: no big upfront platform fees for individuals, economics built into spreads and issuer‑side arrangements, and occasional charges for specific services. Compared to more aggressively retail‑oriented apps, minimum ticket sizes can sometimes be higher on certain issues, which may subtly tilt the average user base towards higher‑ticket investors.
Who BondsIndia is best suited for
BondsIndia tends to suit:
- Hands‑on, semi‑expert investors who already understand ratings, basic bond maths and relative‑value thinking.
- Family offices or HNIs who like to sit with a sheet of options and pick their own exposure.
- People who are comfortable with an interface that feels more like a trading tool than a mass‑market app.
If you are the kind of person who almost enjoys reading term sheets, you’ll probably be fine here.
5. TheFixedIncome – the online fixed‑income desk
TheFixedIncome.com has the feel of a traditional fixed‑income dealing desk, moved onto a website and cleaned up for broader use.
Core features
- Hard numbers up front
Each bond is presented with the key facts traders care about: coupon, yield‑to‑maturity, price, maturity date, security status, payment frequency. The tone is factual, with minimal fluff. - Transparency around process
There is usually clear messaging around settlement through exchanges and clearing corporations, demat credit, and charges (or the lack thereof). For investors still nursing suspicions from the wild‑west days of unlisted NCD sales, that transparency can be reassuring. - Portfolio tools
The platform typically offers cash‑flow calendars, portfolio yield and maturity snapshots, and other small touches that make tracking a multi‑bond portfolio less painful.
Fees and pricing
TheFixedIncome often stresses zero or low brokerage on most secondary trades for retail users, while again earning its living from spreads and issuer‑side economics. On larger or more complex transactions, the cost structure can be a bit more bespoke.
Who TheFixedIncome is best suited for
You’re likely to feel at home here if:
- You’re numerically inclined and like seeing everything laid out in a grid before making decisions.
- You care a lot about process, documentation and execution clarity.
- You’re comfortable with a slightly more “desk‑like” interface rather than a heavily gamified app.
It’s a good option when you want the feel of a proper fixed‑income terminal without the intimidation factor.
6. Wint Wealth (and peers) – curated, higher‑yield credit plays
Strictly speaking, platforms like Wint Wealth sit a little to the side of plain corporate bond platforms, but they are worth mentioning because many investors encounter them while searching for higher yields on fixed‑income.
These platforms typically:
- Offer curated debt products backed by underlying pools of loans, leases, receivables or specific corporate exposures.
- Emphasise higher coupons, often in the 9–11% bracket, with structures designed to be bankruptcy‑remote from the originator.
- Use listed securitised debt instruments or similar vehicles to bring the products into the regulated universe, while still marketing them heavily on yield.
Features, in brief
- Small ticket sizes – often ₹10,000 to ₹25,000, making it easy to test the waters.
- Deal‑by‑deal curation – you see a short list of current offerings rather than a full market screen. Each comes with an explainer and risk summary.
- Fixed terms and cash‑flows – most products have a defined tenor and payout schedule.
Fees and who pays them
Most such platforms market themselves as zero‑fee for investors, earning economics from arrangers and issuers. As always, nothing is truly free; the real question is whether the offered yield appropriately compensates for the structure and underlying risk.
Who they’re best suited for
Yield platforms like Wint Wealth and its peers can make sense as a small satellite allocation if:
- You already have a core portfolio of straightforward corporate bonds.
- You are comfortable reading the underlying deal documents and understanding what happens if the originator struggles.
- You size positions conservatively and diversify across deals.
They are generally not where you build your entire fixed‑income exposure, but they can add an extra layer of return and diversification if handled with respect.
7. BondDekho and aggregators – scanning across platforms
Finally, there is a new class of aggregators, with BondDekho being a prominent example.
These aren’t OBPPs in the strict sense; they’re more like meta‑platforms that:
- Pull live bond offerings and yield data from multiple OBPPs and bond platforms – GoldenPi, IndiaBonds, Wint Wealth, TheFixedIncome and others.
- Let you compare yields, ratings and maturities across platforms in one interface.
- Often redirect you to the underlying platform to complete the transaction.
Features
- Cross‑platform comparison – which is helpful if you are sensitive to small yield differences on larger tickets.
- Single watchlist – you can track bonds across providers without logging into each one separately.
- Discovery – you might find a bond on one platform that doesn’t appear (or isn’t as prominent) on another.
Who it suits
Aggregators like BondDekho work well for:
- Investors who already use two or more OBPPs and want to avoid constantly flipping between tabs.
- Family offices and HNIs who care about wringing out every basis point and are willing to put in the effort.
- People in the “research and scan” phase, before choosing where to actually transact.
It’s still early days in this space, but as the bond platform ecosystem matures, these aggregators are likely to become more important.
Pulling it all together – how to use these platforms sensibly
By now, you might be thinking this all sounds like work. And it is, a bit. But you don’t need to become a full‑time bond trader to make this practical.
A straightforward way to approach 2026:
- Pick one primary bond‑first platform.
For many investors, Altifi is a sensible default: curated, app‑driven, geared towards building ladders and watching cash‑flows. It hits most of the boxes a serious retail fixed‑income investor cares about. - Add one “supermarket” or desk‑style platform for comparison.
GoldenPi, IndiaBonds, BondsIndia or TheFixedIncome can play this role. Use them to check yields, broaden your issuer set and occasionally pick up issues not available on your main platform. - Build a simple ladder in high‑quality corporate bonds.
Spread your exposure across 1–7‑year maturities, mostly in AAA/AA names, with a sprinkling of A if you really understand the credits. Lock in the 7–8% kind of yields that are still available post‑cuts, while inflation sits much lower. - Use yield platforms sparingly for satellites.
If the 9–11% deals on structured platforms tempt you, allocate a clearly limited slice of your fixed‑income book to them and diversify across deals. Treat these as higher‑risk credit, not “enhanced FDs”. - Revisit annually.
Check that the platforms you use remain SEBI‑compliant, look at whether their product mix has drifted into riskier territory, and rebalance your ladder as bonds mature and your goals evolve.
The days when “bonds” meant filling out a form at a bank branch or buying whatever NCD popped up on your broker’s home page are fading. In their place is a growing ecosystem of bond‑centric platforms that, used thoughtfully, give you much more control over how you earn fixed‑income returns.
In a world of lower inflation, a friendlier RBI and range‑bound yields, that extra control may matter more than any rate forecast you’ll read this year.
