HomeCirculars › RBI/2010-11/491

IPCs for FIIs under PIS: Custodian banks allowed

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2010-11/491 · issued 29 Apr 2011 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI now allows custodian banks to issue Irrevocable Payment Commitments (IPCs) to stock exchanges on behalf of FII clients for share purchases under the Portfolio Investment Scheme, subject to capital market exposure norms.

What changed

Previously, fund-based or non-fund-based facilities to FIIs were not permitted under FEMA Guarantee Regulations. This circular now explicitly allows custodian banks to issue IPCs to stock exchanges or clearing corporations for FIIs' PIS transactions, with compliance to RBI's capital market exposure guidelines and DBOD circular dated September 30, 2010.

What it means for you

Banks acting as custodians can now facilitate FII share purchases by issuing IPCs, reducing settlement risk for stock exchanges. This expands the permissible non-fund facility for FIIs under PIS, but banks must ensure adherence to overall capital market exposure limits and DBOD instructions.

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

AD Category-I banks (custodian banks), FIIs registered with SEBI, Stock exchanges and clearing corporations

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

What is an Irrevocable Payment Commitment (IPC)?

An IPC is a non-fund based commitment issued by a custodian bank to a stock exchange or clearing corporation, guaranteeing payment for securities purchased by an FII under the Portfolio Investment Scheme.

Are there any additional compliance requirements for issuing IPCs?

Yes, banks must comply with RBI's capital market exposure regulations and the instructions in DBOD circular DBOD Dir. BC.46/13.03.00/2010-11 dated September 30, 2010.

Does this circular change the FEMA Guarantee Regulations?

The circular states that necessary amendments to FEMA 8/2000-RB will be issued separately. Until then, IPC issuance is permitted under the existing framework with these instructions.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2010-11/491 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 54 April 29, 2011 To All Category – I Authorised Dealer banks Madam / Sir, Issue of Irrevocable Payment Commitment (IPCs) to Stock Exchanges on behalf of Mutual Funds (MFs) and Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) Attention of Authorised Dealer Category - I (AD Category-I) banks is invited to   Regulation 5(2) and Schedule 2 of Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) Regulations, 2000 notified vide Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 , as amended from time to time, in terms of which Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) registered with SEBI may purchase shares or convertible debentures of an Indian company under the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS). Further, attention of AD Category – I banks is also invited to the Foreign Exchange Management (Guarantee) Regulations, notified vide Notification No. FEMA 8/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 , as amended from time to time, in terms of which, no fund based / non-fund based facilities are permitted to the FIIs. 2. It has now been decided to allow custodian banks to issue Irrevocable Payment Commitments (IPCs) in favour of the Stock Exchanges / Clearing Corporations of the Stock Exchanges, on behalf of their FII clients for purchase of shares under the PIS. Issue of IPCs should be in accordance with the Reserve Bank regulations on banks’ exposure to the capital market issued by the Reserve Bank from time to time. Further, AD Category – I banks may also comply with the instructions issued by our Department of Banking Operations and Development (DBOD) vide circular no. DBOD Dir. BC.46/13.03.00/2010-11 dated September 30, 2010 . 3. Necessary amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Guarantee) Regulations, 2000, notified vide Notification No. FEMA 8/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 will be issued separately. 4. AD Category – I banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their constituents and customers concerned. 5. The directions contained in this circular have been issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999) and are without prejudice to permissions / approvals, if any, required under any other law. Yours faithfully, (Meena Hemchandra) Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2010-11/491 · issued 29 Apr 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=6363&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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