HomeCirculars › RBI/2009-10/102

RBI expands repo eligibility to unlisted companies with special securities

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/102 · issued 20 Jul 2009 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI now allows unlisted companies holding special government securities and gilt accounts with scheduled commercial banks to enter ready forward contracts (market repos) as borrowers, using those securities as collateral, with banks or primary dealers as counterparties.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A treasury officer in Indore, Priya, gets a request from an unlisted company that holds special government bonds. She first checks that the company has a gilt account with her bank and that the bonds are the special ones issued by the government. Then she structures the repo as a borrowing for the company, using those bonds as collateral, and makes sure her bank has an SGL account with RBI to be the counterparty.

What changed

RBI added unlisted companies that have been issued special securities by the Government of India and maintain gilt accounts with scheduled commercial banks to the list of entities eligible for ready forward contracts (market repos) in government securities. These companies can only act as borrowers in the first leg of the repo, using their special securities as collateral, and must transact with a bank or primary dealer holding an SGL account with RBI.

What it means for you

Banks and primary dealers gain a new set of counterparties for repo transactions, potentially increasing liquidity in the government securities market. Lenders must ensure that unlisted companies meet the gilt account and special securities conditions before entering repos, and that the repo is structured as a borrowing for the company against those specific securities.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

Scheduled commercial banks, Primary dealers, Unlisted companies with special government securities, All RBI-regulated entities dealing in government securities repos

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

Can unlisted companies act as lenders in repo transactions under this circular?

No, the circular restricts eligible unlisted companies to only act as borrowers of funds in the first leg of the repo contract, using their special securities as collateral.

What types of securities can unlisted companies use as collateral in these repos?

Only the special securities issued to them by the Government of India can be used as collateral for repo transactions.

Who can be the counterparty for an unlisted company in a repo transaction?

The counterparty must be either a bank or a Primary Dealer that maintains an SGL account with the Reserve Bank of India.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/FMRD/2025-26/142 — Master Directions
RBI’s words: “Circular No. IDMD.DOD.No.334/11.08.36/2009-10 dated July 20, 2009”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
This circular has been superseded by Repurchase Transactions (Repo) (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2018 dated July 24, 2018 . RBI/2009-10/102 IDMD.DOD.No. 334/ 11.08.36/ 2009-10 July 20, 2009 All RBI Regulated Entities Dear Sirs, Ready Forward Contracts A reference is invited to our circular IDMD/PDRS/4779/10.02.01/2004-05 dated May 11, 2005 setting out the eligible categories of entities permitted to enter into ready forward contracts (repos) in Government securities (Dated securities and treasury bills). On a review, it has now been decided that in addition to the existing categories of eligible entities, unlisted companies who have been issued special securities by the Government of India and having gilt accounts with scheduled commercial banks may be permitted to enter into ready forward contracts, subject to conditions and restrictions stipulated in our circular dated May 11, 2005. 2. Accordingly, the following categories of entities are eligible to enter into ready forward contracts (market repos and not repos with the RBI under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility) in the Government securities: (a) persons or entities maintaining a Subsidiary General Ledger (SGL) account with the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai, and (b) the following categories of entities which do not maintain SGL accounts with the Reserve Bank of India but maintain gilt accounts (i.e. gilt account holders) with a bank or any other entity (i.e. the custodian) permitted by the Reserve Bank of India to maintain Constituent Subsidiary General Ledger Account (CSGL Account) with its Public Debt Office, Mumbai : i. Any scheduled bank; ii. Any Primary Dealer authorised by the Reserve Bank of India; iii.Any non-banking financial company registered with the Reserve Bank of India (other than Government companie- s as defined in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956); iv. Any mutual fund registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India; v. Any housing finance company registered with the National Housing Bank; and vi. Any insurance company registered with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority. vii. Any non-scheduled Urban Co-operative bank. viii. Any listed company, having a gilt account with a scheduled commercial bank; and ix. Any unlisted company which has been issued special securities by the Government of India and having gilt ac-count with a scheduled commercial bank. 3. In addition to the conditions and restrictions stipulated in our circular dated May 11, 2005, the following restrictions will also be applicable to the eligible unlisted companies for entering into ready forward contracts: (a) The eligible unlisted companies can enter into ready forward transactions as the borrower of funds in the first leg of the repo contract only against the collateral of the special securities issued to them by the Government of India; and (b) The counterparty to the eligible unlisted companies for repo transactions should be either a bank or a Primary Dealer maintaining SGL account with the Reserve Bank. 4. All other conditions specified in our circular IDMD/PDRS/4779/10.02.01/2004-05 dated May 11, 2005 will continue to apply. Yours faithfully, (K.V. Rajan) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/102 · issued 20 Jul 2009. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=5178&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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