Infrastructure Lending Definition Expanded: New Sub-Sectors Added
No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/561 · issued 28 Jun 2013 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI has updated the infrastructure lending definition to include Capital Dredging, Slurry Pipelines, and Telecommunication & Telecom Services, aligning with Government notifications. Banks can now classify loans to these sub-sectors as infrastructure lending, benefiting from priority sector-like treatment.
What changed
RBI expanded the harmonised master list of infrastructure sub-sectors for lending by adding three new categories: Capital Dredging under Ports, Slurry Pipelines under Water & Sanitation, and Telecommunication & Telecom Services under Communication. This update follows Government gazette notifications dated April 5 and May 9, 2013, and supersedes the earlier list from March 27, 2012.
What it means for you
Banks can now extend infrastructure lending classification to loans for capital dredging projects, slurry pipelines, and telecom services, which may qualify for preferential regulatory treatment such as lower risk weights or priority sector targets. This encourages lending to these sectors, potentially boosting port modernisation, pipeline infrastructure, and telecom network expansion.
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 credit policies to include the three new sub-sectors under infrastructure lending classification.
Train credit officers to identify and classify loans for Capital Dredging, Slurry Pipelines, and Telecommunication & Telecom Services as infrastructure lending.
Review existing loan portfolios to reclassify eligible exposures under the expanded definition for regulatory reporting.
Ensure compliance with the updated master list when submitting infrastructure lending data to RBI.
Who it affects
All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), All India Term-Lending and Refinancing Institutions (EXIM Bank, NABARD, NHB, SIDBI), Borrowers in port dredging, slurry pipeline, and telecom sectors
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-18 15:00 IST
repealed_by — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
Status change: withdrawn03 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
What are the three new sub-sectors added to infrastructure lending?
The three new sub-sectors are Capital Dredging under Ports, Slurry Pipelines under Water & Sanitation, and Telecommunication & Telecom Services under Communication.
Does this circular change the priority sector lending norms?
No, this circular only updates the definition of infrastructure lending for classification purposes. It does not alter priority sector lending targets or norms.
Are loans to telecom towers now covered under infrastructure lending?
Telecommunication towers were already included in the earlier list. The new addition is 'Telecommunication & Telecom Services', which covers services like broadband/internet over optic fibre networks.
📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed byRBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #1138: DBOD.BP.BC.No.106/08.12.014/2012-13 — "Financing of Infrastructure - Definition of 'Infrastructure Lending'" dated June 28, 2013”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2012-13/561
DBOD.BP.BC.No. 106/ 08.12.014 / 2012-13
June 28, 2013
All Scheduled Commercial Banks
(excluding RRBs) and
All India Term-Lending and Refinancing Institutions
(EXIM Bank, NABARD, NHB and SIDBI)
Dear Sir,
Financing of Infrastructure - Definition of 'Infrastructure Lending'
Please refer to our circular DBOD.BP.BC.No.58/08.12.014/2012-13 dated November 20, 2012 on ‘Definition of Infrastructure Lending’, whereby our definition of Infrastructure Lending was harmonised with that of the ‘Master List of Infrastructure sub-sectors’ notified by the Government of India on March 27, 2012.
2. Government of India, vide its Gazette Notifications dated April 5, 2013 and May 9, 2013, has updated the Harmonised Master List of Infrastructure sub-sectors and added the following new sub-sectors to the Notification dated March 27, 2012:
Capital Dredging, under the sub-sector ‘Ports’.
Slurry Pipelines
Telecommunication & Telecom Services
3. Accordingly, an updated list of sub-sectors for infrastructure lending by banks and select All India Term-Lending and Refinancing Institutions is given in the Annex .
Yours faithfully,
(Chandan Sinha)
Principal Chief General Manager
Annex
List of sub-sectors for ‘Infrastructure Lending’
A credit facility extended by lenders (i.e. banks and select All India Term-Lending and Refinancing Institutions) to a borrower for exposure in the following infrastructure sub-sectors will qualify as ‘infrastructure lending’:
Sl.No.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/561 · issued 28 Jun 2013. 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=8076&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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