HomeCirculars › RBI/2010-11/406

Exim Bank's USD 416.39 mn Line of Credit to Sri Lanka

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2010-11/406 · issued 14 Feb 2011 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks about Exim Bank's USD 416.39 million Line of Credit to Sri Lanka for railway track laying. Banks must advise exporters on procedures, including 85% Indian content requirement and no agency commission rule.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore learns about this rule and calls her exporter client, Mr. Sharma, who is bidding for a railway track contract in Sri Lanka. She explains that 85% of his supplies must come from India and that he cannot pay any agent commission from the loan money. She advises him to contact Exim Bank for the full contract details and to use his own foreign currency account if he needs to pay commission later.

What changed

Exim Bank signed a Line of Credit agreement with Sri Lanka on November 26, 2010, effective January 24, 2011, for USD 416.39 million. The credit funds three railway track laying projects: Omanthai-Pallai (USD 185.35 mn), Madhu Church-Tallaimannar (USD 149.74 mn), and Medawachchiya-Madhu (USD 81.30 mn).

What it means for you

Indian exporters can now bid for these Sri Lankan railway contracts with Exim Bank financing. At least 85% of contract value must be sourced from India, boosting domestic exports. AD banks must ensure no agency commission is paid from the credit proceeds, though exporters can use their own EEFC funds for commissions post-realization.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks handling export transactions, Indian exporters of goods and services to Sri Lanka, Exim Bank and IRCON as executing agencies

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

What is the last date for opening Letters of Credit under this LOC?

For project exports, LCs must be opened within 48 months from the scheduled completion date of the contract. For supply contracts, the deadline is 72 months from the credit agreement execution date, i.e., November 25, 2016.

Can exporters pay agency commission under this LOC?

No agency commission is payable from the LOC proceeds. However, exporters may use their own resources or EEFC account balances to pay commission in free foreign exchange after full contract value is realized.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2010-11/406 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 43 February 14, 2011 To All Category - I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam / Sir, Exim Bank's Line of Credit of USD 416.39 million to the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has concluded an Agreement dated November 26, 2010 with the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 416.39 million (USD four hundred sixteen million three hundred ninety thousand) for financing eligible goods and services including consultancy services for financing (i) Track laying by IRCON on the Omanthai- Pallai sector (USD 185.35 million) ,(ii) Track laying by IRCON on the Madhu Church-Tallaimannar sector (USD 149.74 million), and (iii) Track laying on the Medawachchiya- Madhu railway line (USD 81.30 million) in Sri Lanka. The goods and services including consultancy services from India for exports under this Agreement are those which are eligible for export under the Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India and whose purchase may be agreed to be financed by the Exim Bank under this Agreement. Out of the total credit by Exim Bank under this Agreement, the goods and services including consultancy services of the value of at least 85 per cent of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India, and the remaining 15 per cent goods and services (other than consultancy services) may be procured by the seller for the purpose of Eligible Contract from outside India. 2.         The Credit Agreement under the LOC is effective from January 24, 2011 and the date of execution of Agreement is November 26, 2010. Under the LOC, the last date for opening of Letters of Credit and Disbursement will be 48 months from the scheduled completion date(s) of contract(s) in the case of project exports and 72 months (November 25, 2016) from the execution date of the Credit Agreement in the case of supply contracts. 3.         Shipments under the LOC will have to be declared on GR / SDF Forms as per instructions issued by the Reserve Bank from time to time. 4.     No agency commission is payable under the above LOC. However, if required, the exporter may use his own resources or utilize balances in his Exchange Earners’ Foreign Currency Account for payment of commission in free foreign exchange. Authorised Dealer Category- l (AD Category-l) banks may allow such remittance after realization of full payment of contract value subject to compliance with the prevailing instructions for payment of agency commission. 5.         AD Category-I banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their exporter constituents and advise them to obtain full details of the Line of Credit from the Exim Bank’s office at Centre One, Floor 21, World Trade Centre Complex, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005  or log on to www.eximbankindia.in. 6.       The Directions contained in this circular have been issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 (42 of 1999) and are without prejudice to permissions / approvals, if any, required under any other law. Yours faithfully, (G. Jaganmohan Rao) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2010-11/406 · issued 14 Feb 2011. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (AD Category-I banks handling export transactions, Indian exporters of goods and services to Sri Lanka, Exim Bank and IRCON as executing agencies), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's USD 416.39 mn Line of Credit to Sri Lanka” is: “Inform exporter clients about the LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.” (RBI issued this 14 Feb 2011).

  1. Circular: RBI/2010-11/406 -- Exim Bank's USD 416.39 mn Line of Credit to Sri Lanka
  2. Issued: 14 Feb 2011
  3. Action required: Inform exporter clients about the LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
  4. Action required: Ensure shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF Forms as per RBI instructions.
  5. Action required: Verify that no agency commission is paid from the LOC proceeds; allow remittance from EEFC only after full contract value realization.
  6. Action required: Monitor that at least 85% of contract price is supplied from India for eligible contracts.
  7. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  8. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  9. Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=6265&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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