Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/284 · issued 08 Jan 2010 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI introduced repo in corporate bonds effective March 1, 2010. Only listed, AA-rated or above corporate debt securities in demat form are eligible. Commercial papers, CDs, and NCDs under one year are excluded. Eligible participants include scheduled banks (excluding RRBs/LABs), primary dealers, NBFCs, and select financial institutions.
The rule, in the simplest words
Repo (a short-term loan where you sell a security and promise to buy it back later) in corporate bonds is allowed from March 1, 2010.
Only listed (traded on a stock exchange) corporate bonds with a rating of AA or above (very safe) and held in demat (electronic) form can be used.
Short-term papers like Commercial Papers (CPs), Certificates of Deposit (CDs), and bonds that mature in less than one year cannot be used.
Eligible participants include scheduled banks (except RRBs and LABs), primary dealers, NBFCs, and some financial institutions like NABARD.
How it plays out — a real example
A treasury officer in Indore, Priya, wants to raise short-term funds for her bank. She checks that the corporate bonds she holds are listed, rated AA+, and held in demat form. She then uses them in a repo transaction with another eligible bank, getting cash now and agreeing to buy the bonds back in a few days, which helps her manage liquidity smoothly.
What changed
RBI allowed repo transactions in corporate debt securities for the first time, effective March 1, 2010. The move followed the Second Quarter Review of the Annual Policy Statement for 2009-10. Eligible securities are limited to listed corporate bonds rated AA or above, held in demat form, excluding short-term instruments like CPs, CDs, and NCDs under one year.
What it means for you
Banks and other eligible entities can now use corporate bonds as collateral for repo, improving liquidity in the corporate bond market. This gives lenders a new tool for short-term funding and portfolio management. However, the AA rating floor and demat requirement restrict the pool of eligible securities, so not all corporate bonds qualify.
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
Ensure corporate debt securities used for repo are listed, rated AA or above, and held in demat form.
Exclude CPs, CDs, and NCDs with original maturity under one year from repo eligibility.
Verify participant eligibility: scheduled banks (excluding RRBs/LABs), primary dealers, NBFCs, and specified FIs can transact.
Comply with the Repo in Corporate Debt Securities (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2010 effective March 1, 2010.
Who it affects
Scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs and LABs), Primary dealers, NBFCs registered with RBI, All-India Financial Institutions (Exim Bank, NABARD, NHB, SIDBI), Other regulated entities (mutual funds, HFCs, insurance companies) with regulator approval
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
What securities are eligible for repo under these directions?
Only listed corporate debt securities rated AA or above, held in demat form by the repo seller, are eligible. Short-term instruments like CPs, CDs, and NCDs with original maturity under one year are excluded.
Which entities can participate in corporate bond repo?
Eligible participants include scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs and LABs), primary dealers, RBI-registered NBFCs, and all-India FIs. Mutual funds, HFCs, and insurance companies need approval from their respective regulators.
When did these directions take effect?
The Repo in Corporate Debt Securities (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2010 came into force on March 1, 2010.
📜 This document’s life story (3 recorded events, each backed by RBI’s own words)
RBI’s words: “A reference is invited to our circular IDMD.DOD.05/11.08.38/2009-10 dated January 08, 2010”
📜 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/2009-10/284
IDMD.DOD. 05 /11.08.38/2009-10
January 8, 2010
To All Market Participants
Ready Forward Contracts in Corporate Debt Securities
A reference is invited to paragraph 111 of the Second Quarter Review of the Annual Policy Statement for 2009-10 regarding the introduction of repo in corporate bonds.
2. It has been decided to introduce repo in corporate bonds. In this regard, the Reserve Bank of India has issued a direction IDMD.DOD.04/11.08.38/2009-10 dated January 08, 2010 under section 45W of the RBI Act, 1934, which has been placed on the Reserve Bank of India website. A copy of the direction is enclosed .
3. The Reserve Bank of India Notification, in exercise of the powers conferred on the Reserve Bank of India under section 16 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (42 of 1956) vide Government of India Notification No. 183(E) dated March 1, 2000 issued under Section 29 A of the Act, ibid, is being issued separately.
Yours faithfully,
( K V Rajan )
Chief General Manager
Encl.: as above
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
INTERNAL DEBT MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
23RD FLOOR CENTRAL OFFICE
FORT MUMBAI 400 001
Mumbai, January 08, 2010
Repo in Corporate Debt Securities (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2010
The Reserve Bank of India having considered it necessary in public interest and to regulate the financial system of the country to its advantage, in exercise of its powers conferred by section 45W of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and of all the powers enabling it in this behalf, hereby gives the following directions to all the persons dealing in repo in Corporate Debt Securities.
1. Short title and commencement of the directions
These directions may be called the Repo in Corporate Debt Securities (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2010 and they shall come into force with effect from March 01, 2010 .
2. Definitions
‘ Corporate Debt Security ’ means non-convertible debt securities, which create or acknowledge indebtedness, including debentures, bonds and such other securities of a company or a body corporate constituted by or under a Central or State Act, whether constituting a charge on the assets of the company or body corporate or not, but does not include debt securities issued by Government or such other persons as may be specified by the Reserve Bank, security receipts and securitized debt instruments”
‘ Security Receipts ’ means a security as defined in clause (zg) of section 2 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (54 of 2002)
‘ Securitized debt instrument ’ means securities of the nature referred to in sub-clause (ie) of clause (h) of section 2 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956(42 of 1956).
3. Eligible securities for repo in Corporate Debt Securities
Only listed corporate debt securities which are rated ‘AA’ or above by the rating agencies, that are held in the security account of the repo seller, in demat form, shall be eligible provided that Commercial Papers (CPs), Certificates of Deposit (CDs) and other instruments including Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) of less than one year of original maturity, shall not be eligible securities for undertaking repo. 4. Eligible Participants
The following entities shall be eligible to undertake repo transactions in corporate debt securities:
Any scheduled commercial bank excluding RRBs and LABs;
Any Primary Dealer authorised by the Reserve Bank of India;
Any non-banking financial company registered with the Reserve Bank of India (other than Government companies as defined in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 );
All-India Financial Institutions, namely, Exim Bank, NABARD, NHB and SIDBI;
Other regulated entities, subject to the approval of the regulators concerned, viz.,
Any mutual fund registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India;
Any housing finance company registered with the National Housing Bank; and
Any insurance company registered with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authorit
Any other entity specifically permitted by the Reserve Bank
5. Tenor
Repos in corporate debt securities shall be for a minimum period of one day and a maximum period of one year.
6. Trading
Participants shall enter into repo transactions in corporate debt securities in the OTC market .
7. Reporting of Trades
All repo trades shall be reported within 15 minutes of the trade on the FIMMDA reporting platform.
The trades shall also be reported to any of the clearing houses of the exchanges for clearing and settlement.
8. Settlement of trades
All repo trades in corporate debt securities shall settle either on a T+1 basis or a T+2 basis under DvP I (gross basis) framework.
Repo transactions in corporate debt securities shall settle in the same manner as outright OTC trades in corporate debt securities.
On the date of reversal of repo trades, the clearing houses shall compute the obligations of the parties and facilitate settlement on DvP basis.
9. Prohibition on sale of repoed security
The security acquired under repo shall not be sold by the repo buyer (lender of the funds) during the period of repo.
10. Haircut
A haircut of 25% (or higher as maybe decided by the participants depending on the term of the repo) shall be applicable on the market value of the corporate debt security prevailing on the date of trade of 1st leg.
Participants may refer to the rating-haircut matrix that may be published by the Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India (FIMMDA), to determine the appropriate haircut.
11. Valuation
For arriving at the market value of the corporate debt security, the participants undertaking repo in corporate bonds may refer to the credit spreads published by the FIMMDA.
12. Capital Adequacy
The repo transactions in corporate debt securities shall attract capital charge in terms of para 7.3.8 of the Master Circular DBOD No.BP.BC.21/21.06.001/2009-10 dated July 01, 2009.
13. Disclosure
The details of corporate debt securities lent or acquired under repo or reverse repo transactions shall be disclosed in the “Notes on Accounts” to the Balance Sheet.
14. Accounting
The repo transactions in corporate debt securities shall be accounted as per the revised guidelines on uniform accounting for repo/reverse repo transactions in Government securities, which would be issued separately.
15. Computation of CRR/SLR & borrowing limit
The amount borrowed by a bank through repo shall be reckoned as part of its Demand and Time Liabilities (DTL) and the same shall attract CRR/SLR as per the provisions of the Master Circular DBOD.Ret.BC.45/12.01.001/2009-10 dated September 18, 2009.
The borrowings of a bank through repo in corporate bonds shall be reckoned as its liabilities for reserve requirement and, to the extent these liabilities are to the banking system, they shall be netted as per clause (d) of the explanation under section 42(1) of the RBI Act, 1934. Such borrowings shall, however, be subject to the prudential limits for inter-bank liabilities prescribed vide circular DBOD.BP.BC.66/21.01.002/2006-07 dated March 06, 2007.
16. Documentation
The participants shall enter into bilateral Master Repo Agreement as per the documentation finalized by the FIMMDA.
H R Khan
Executive Director
IDMD.DOD. 04 /11.08.38/2009-10
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/284 · issued 08 Jan 2010. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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