Repo Rate Hiked to 8.50%: Standing Liquidity Facilities Costlier
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/232 · issued 25 Oct 2011 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI raised the repo rate by 25 bps to 8.50% effective October 25, 2011. Consequently, standing liquidity facilities for banks (export credit refinance) and Primary Dealers (collateralised liquidity support) will now be charged at the revised repo rate of 8.50%.
The rule, in the simplest words
The RBI increased the repo rate by 25 basis points to 8.50% to curb inflation.
Banks and Primary Dealers will now pay 8.50% interest on standing liquidity facilities.
Banks may pass on higher costs to borrowers, especially in export sectors.
How it plays out — a real example
A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore, Mr. Kumar, noticed that the RBI increased the repo rate to 8.50%. As a result, the interest rate on the standing liquidity facility for export credit refinance increased, affecting the bank's funding costs for export-related lending. Mr. Kumar communicated the revised cost of funds to the treasury and credit departments to update their pricing models.
What changed
The repo rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) was increased by 25 basis points from 8.25% to 8.50% with immediate effect. Accordingly, the standing liquidity facilities provided to banks (export credit refinance) and Primary Dealers (collateralised liquidity support) are now available at the revised repo rate of 8.50%.
What it means for you
Banks will face higher costs for accessing export credit refinance from the RBI, directly impacting their funding costs for export-related lending. Primary Dealers will also see increased costs for collateralised liquidity support, potentially tightening liquidity conditions in the bond market. This rate hike signals RBI's intent to curb inflation, and banks may pass on higher costs to borrowers, particularly in export sectors.
What you must do
Review your bank's export credit refinance availed and recalculate interest costs at the new 8.50% rate.
Assess the impact on your lending rates for export credit and consider adjustments to maintain margins.
Communicate the revised cost of funds to your treasury and credit departments for updated pricing models.
Monitor liquidity conditions and adjust your LAF borrowing strategy accordingly.
Who it affects
All Scheduled Banks (excluding RRBs), Primary Dealers, Export credit borrowers (indirectly through higher lending rates)
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Stated effective dateeffective October 25, 2011
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-18 23:07 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
What is the new repo rate effective from October 25, 2011?
The repo rate has been increased by 25 basis points from 8.25% to 8.50% with immediate effect.
Which standing liquidity facilities are impacted by this change?
The standing liquidity facilities for banks (export credit refinance) and Primary Dealers (collateralised liquidity support) are now available at the revised repo rate of 8.50%.
Are Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) affected by this circular?
No, the circular explicitly excludes Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) from its scope.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2011-12/232
MPD.BC. 350/07.01.279/2011-12
October 25, 2011
To
All Scheduled Banks [excluding Regional Rural Banks(RRBs) ]
and Primary Dealers
Dear Sir/Madam,
Standing Liquidity Facilities for
Banks and Primary Dealers
Please refer to the Second Quarter Review of Monetary Policy 2011-12 on October 25, 2011 , in terms of which the repo rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) has been increased by 25 basis points from 8.25 per cent to 8.50 per cent with immediate effect.
2. Accordingly, the Standing Liquidity Facilities provided to banks (export credit refinance) and Primary Dealers (PDs) (collateralised liquidity support) from the Reserve Bank would be available at the revised repo rate, i.e., at 8.50 per cent with effect from October 25, 2011.
Yours faithfully,
(Janak Raj)
Adviser-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/232 · issued 25 Oct 2011. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All Scheduled Banks (excluding RRBs), Primary Dealers, Export credit borrowers (indirectly through higher lending rates)), your first concrete step on “Repo Rate Hiked to 8.50%: Standing Liquidity Facilities Costlier” is: “Review your bank's export credit refinance availed and recalculate interest costs at the new 8.50% rate.” (RBI issued this 25 Oct 2011).
Action required: Review your bank's export credit refinance availed and recalculate interest costs at the new 8.50% rate.
Action required: Assess the impact on your lending rates for export credit and consider adjustments to maintain margins.
Action required: Communicate the revised cost of funds to your treasury and credit departments for updated pricing models.
Action required: Monitor liquidity conditions and adjust your LAF borrowing strategy accordingly.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
💬 Banker Discussion
Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=6778&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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