HomeCirculars › RBI/2010-11/395

Permanent Diminution in Bank Investments in Subsidiaries/JVs

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2010-11/395 · issued 31 Jan 2011 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI mandates banks to assess and provide for permanent diminution in strategic equity investments in subsidiaries/joint ventures under HTM or AFS categories, using specific trigger events and external valuation.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A gold‑loan officer in Indore, Ravi, sees that his bank’s investment in a mining joint venture has been losing money for three years and its net worth has fallen 30%. He asks the valuation team to get a qualified valuer’s report and immediately provisions the loss, following RBI rules.

What changed

RBI clarified that banks must actively determine permanent diminution in investments in subsidiaries/joint ventures, not just when convenient. It specified trigger events like default, restructuring, rating downgrade, three-year losses with 25% net worth erosion, or delayed breakeven. Banks must now obtain a qualified valuer's assessment for impairment in such investments.

What it means for you

Banks can no longer ignore impairment in their strategic equity holdings; they must systematically monitor and provision for losses. This tightens asset quality recognition and may impact capital adequacy, especially for banks with stressed subsidiaries. Lenders need to integrate these triggers into their investment monitoring frameworks.

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

All commercial banks (excluding RRBs) with investments in subsidiaries or joint ventures, Bank treasury and investment departments, Risk management and compliance teams, Auditors and valuation firms engaged by banks

❓ Common questions

What are the specific trigger events that require impairment assessment?

The events include: the subsidiary/JV defaults on debt, its loan is restructured, its credit rating falls below investment grade, it incurs losses for three consecutive years reducing net worth by 25% or more, or it fails to achieve breakeven within the originally projected gestation period.

Do these guidelines apply to all investment categories?

Yes, the guidelines apply to strategic equity investments held under both Held to Maturity (HTM) and Available for Sale (AFS) categories in subsidiaries and joint ventures.

What should a bank do if a trigger event occurs?

The bank must obtain a valuation from a reputed or qualified valuer for the affected investment and make provision for any impairment identified. This process must be followed for subsidiaries, joint ventures, or any material investment.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
The guidelines have been repealed. Please refer to the Reserve Bank of India (Classification, Valuation and Operation of Investment Portfolio of Commercial Banks) Directions, 2021 . RBI/2010-11/395 DBOD. No. BP.BC.79/21.04.141/2010-11 January 31, 2011 The Chairmen and Managing Directors/ Chief Executive Officers of All Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) Dear Sir, Recognition of permanent diminution in the value of investments in banks’ subsidiaries/joint ventures In terms of para 15 of Annexure to circular DBOD.No.BP.BC.32/21.04.048/2000-2001 dated October 16, 2000 on ‘Guidelines for Classification and Valuation of investments by Banks’, banks are required to recognise any diminution, other than temporary, in the value of their investments in subsidiaries/ joint ventures which are included under Held to Maturity category and provide therefor. However, in the absence of any specific instructions on the method of assessment/measurement of permanent diminution, it has been observed that banks are not making any attempt to determine whether there is any permanent diminution in their strategic equity investments held under HTM or AFS categories.  2. The need to determine whether impairment has occurred is a continuous process and the need for such determination will arise in the following circumstances: (a) On the happening of an event which suggests that impairment has occurred. This would include:     (i) the company has defaulted in repayment of its debt obligations.     (ii) the loan amount of the company with any bank has been restructured.     (iii) the credit rating of the company has been downgraded to below investment grade. (b) When the company has incurred losses for a continuous period of three years and the net worth has consequently been reduced by 25% or more. (c) In the case of new company or a new project when the originally projected date of achieving the breakeven point has been extended i.e., the company or the project has not achieved break-even within the gestation period as originally envisaged. 3.  When the need to determine whether impairment has occurred arises in respect of a subsidiary, joint venture or a material investment, the bank should obtain a valuation of the investment by a reputed/qualified valuer and make provision for the impairment, if any.  4. These guidelines would be applicable with immediate effect. Yours faithfully, (B. Mahapatra) Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2010-11/395 · issued 31 Jan 2011. 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=6246&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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