No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/270 · issued 30 Oct 2012 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI now permits scheduled Urban Cooperative Banks to enter ready forward contracts in corporate debt securities, expanding the eligible participant list under the 2010 Repo in Corporate Debt Securities Directions.
The rule, in the simplest words
Scheduled Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) can now do 'ready forward contracts' (a type of short-term loan using corporate bonds as security) in corporate debt securities.
Before this rule, UCBs were not allowed to do these contracts; now they are added to the list of eligible participants.
UCBs must follow any extra rules set by RBI's Urban Banks Department (the part of RBI that watches over them).
Other eligible participants like commercial banks, primary dealers, NBFCs, and All-India Financial Institutions can now trade repos with UCBs.
How it plays out — a real example
A co-operative bank branch officer in Indore at a scheduled UCB needs to raise quick cash to meet a sudden withdrawal demand. She now can use the bank's holdings of corporate bonds to do a repo (a short-term loan) with a nearby commercial bank, getting funds overnight and repaying the next day with interest. This new rule gives her a flexible liquidity tool she didn't have before.
What changed
Previously, scheduled UCBs were not listed as eligible entities for ready forward contracts in corporate debt securities under the 2010 Directions. This circular adds them to the list, subject to conditions set by RBI's Urban Banks Department.
What it means for you
Scheduled UCBs gain a new liquidity management tool by being able to repo corporate debt, potentially improving their balance sheet flexibility. Banks and other market participants may see increased depth in the corporate debt repo market as UCBs enter as both borrowers and lenders.
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
Update internal eligibility lists for corporate debt repo counterparties to include scheduled UCBs.
Ensure compliance with any conditions prescribed by RBI's Urban Banks Department for UCBs.
Review existing repo agreements to confirm they accommodate UCBs as counterparties.
Monitor UCB creditworthiness and operational readiness before engaging in repos with them.
RBI’s words: “Circular No. IDMD.PCD.1423/14.03.02/2012-13 dated October 30, 2012 .”
📜 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/2012-13/270
IDMD.PCD. 1423/14.03.02/2012-13
October 30, 2012
To All Market Participants
Ready Forward Contracts in Corporate Debt Securities - Permitting Scheduled Urban Cooperative Banks
A reference is invited to our circular IDMD.DOD.05/11.08.38/2009-10 dated January 08, 2010 enclosing the Repo in Corporate Debt Securities (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2010 . As indicated under paragraph 4 of the Directions, the following entities are eligible to enter into ready forward contracts in corporate debt securities:
Any scheduled commercial bank excluding RRBs and LABs;
Any Primary Dealer authorized 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.,
i. Any mutual fund registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India;
ii. Any housing finance company registered with the National Housing Bank; and
iii. Any insurance company registered with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
Any other entity specifically permitted by Reserve Bank
2. As announced in the Second Quarter Review of the Monetary Policy Statement 2012-13 ( para 77 ) and in exercise of powers conferred on Reserve Bank under the Repo in Corporate Debt Securities (Reserve Bank) Directions 2010, it has now been decided to permit scheduled Urban Cooperative Banks to undertake ready forward contracts in corporate debt securities subject to adherence to conditions prescribed by Urban Banks Department, Central Office, Reserve Bank of India, from time-to-time.
3. All other terms and conditions of the notifications issued vide circulars IDMD.DOD.05/11.08.38/2009-10 dated January 8, 2010 and IDMD.PCD. 22/11.08.38/2010-11 dated November 9, 2010 shall remain unchanged.
Yours faithfully,
( K. K. Vohra )
Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/270 · issued 30 Oct 2012. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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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=7654&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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