HomeCirculars › RBI/2013-14/319

RBI Introduces Term Repo Auctions Under LAF

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/319 · issued 08 Oct 2013 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI will auction 7-day and 14-day term repos for up to 0.25% of banking system NDTL via variable rate auctions, starting October 11, 2013. This adds a new liquidity tool for banks beyond daily LAF and MSF.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

On a Friday morning, the liquidity management team member checks the RBI announcement for the day's term repo auction. They see that the auction is for 14-day term repos, and the notified amount is Rs 1,500 crore. The team member decides to place a bid at 6.50% interest rate, which is above the prevailing LAF repo rate. They submit their bid through the E-KUBER platform and wait for the auction results. If their bid is successful, they will receive the funds on the day of the auction and return them on the 14th day.

What changed

RBI announced term repo auctions of 7-day and 14-day tenor, with total liquidity injection capped at 0.25% of banking system NDTL. Auctions will be held on alternate Fridays: 14-day on reporting Fridays and 7-day on non-reporting Fridays, using a variable rate mechanism on the E-KUBER platform.

What it means for you

Banks get a new avenue to borrow funds for longer tenors (7 or 14 days) at market-determined rates, supplementing the overnight LAF and MSF. This helps banks manage liquidity mismatches more flexibly, especially around reporting dates. The variable rate auction ensures pricing reflects demand, and the cap limits systemic exposure.

What you must do

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Treasury and liquidity management teams, ALCO desks

❓ Common questions

What is the minimum bid amount for term repo auctions?

The minimum bid amount is Rs 1 crore, and allotments are in multiples of Rs 1 crore.

When will the first term repo auction be held?

The first auction is for 7-day tenor on October 11, 2013, with the notified amount announced on October 10, 2013.

Can banks bid for amounts above the notified amount?

There is no restriction on the maximum bid amount per bidder, but total allotment is capped at the notified amount (0.25% of NDTL).

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/319 FMD.MOAG. No. 89 /01.01.009/2013-14 October 08, 2013 All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs) Madam / Sir, Term Repo under Liquidity Adjustment Facility As announced yesterday, it has been decided to conduct auctions for term repos of 7-day and 14-day tenor for a notified amount equivalent to 0.25 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) of the banking system through variable rate auction mechanism. The first term repo auction with a tenor of seven days would be conducted on October 11, 2013 (Friday). Thereafter, auctions for term repo of 14 days and 7 days tenor will follow on alternate Fridays subject to conditions set out in the Annexure. 2. The detailed operational guidelines for term repo auction are given in the Annexure . 3. Please acknowledge receipt. Yours sincerely (G. Mahalingam) Principal Chief General Manager Annexure Term Repo under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility-Operational Guidelines Term Repo under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) for 14 days and 7 days tenors will be introduced for banks (scheduled commercial banks other than RRBs) in addition to the existing daily LAF (repo and reverse repo) and MSF. Term repo auctions will be conducted on CBS (E-KUBER) platform through electronic bidding as is done in the case of OMO auctions. The total amount of liquidity injected through term repos would be limited to 0.25 per cent of NDTL of the banking system. While the 14 day term repo of tenor would be conducted every reporting Friday, the 7 day term repo would be conducted on every non-reporting Friday. In case the notified amount for the 14-day term repo is not fully subscribed, a 7-day term repo would be conducted on the following Friday for the remaining un-subscribed amount. In case of full subscription in the 14-day term repo, there will be no 7 day term repo auction on the following Friday. Banks would be required to place their bids with the term repo rate that they are willing to pay to RBI for the tenor of the repo expressed in percentage terms up to two decimal places. Once the bidding time is over, all the bids would be arranged in descending order of the term repo rates quoted and the cut-off rate would be arrived at the rate corresponding to the notified amount of the auction. Successful bidders would be those who have placed their bids at or above the cut-off rate. All bids lower than the cut-off rate would be rejected. RBI will, however, reserve the right to (i) inject marginally higher amount than the notified amount due to rounding effects and (ii) inject less than the notified amount without assigning any reasons therefor. No bids would be accepted at or below the prevailing Repo Rate under LAF. On the day prior to the auction, RBI will announce the amount to be auctioned under term repo along with its tenor. The minimum bid amount for the auction would be Rupees one crore and multiples thereof. The allotment would be in multiples of Rupees one crore. Term repo auctions would be conducted on Fridays between 2.30 PM - 3.00 PM. In case Friday falls on a holiday, the auction would take place on the preceding working day at Mumbai. There will be provision of pro-rata allotment should there be more than one successful bid at the cut-off rate. There will be no restriction on the maximum amount of bidding by individual bidders under term repo. The reversal of term repo would take place at the ‘start of day’ on the day of completion of the term. The eligible collateral for term repo and the applicable haircuts will remain the same as daily LAF repo and MSF. All other terms and conditions as applicable to LAF operations will also be made applicable to term repo mutatis mutandis. These conditions will, however, be subject to review on a periodic basis. The first such term repo auction will be conducted on October 11, 2013 (Friday) for 7 days. The notified amount for the auction would be communicated to the market on October 10, 2013 (Thursday). As hitherto, daily LAF for individual banks would be restricted to a certain percentage of their NDTL outstanding as on the last Friday of the second preceding fortnight (currently it is at 0.50 per cent).
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/319 · issued 08 Oct 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related
Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Treasury and liquidity management teams, ALCO desks), your first concrete step on “RBI Introduces Term Repo Auctions Under LAF” is: “Register for electronic bidding on the E-KUBER platform for term repo auctions.” (RBI issued this 08 Oct 2013).

  1. Circular: RBI/2013-14/319 -- RBI Introduces Term Repo Auctions Under LAF
  2. Issued: 08 Oct 2013
  3. Action required: Register for electronic bidding on the E-KUBER platform for term repo auctions.
  4. Action required: Monitor RBI announcements on notified amounts and auction timings (Fridays, 2:30-3:00 PM).
  5. Action required: Prepare bids with term repo rates in percentage terms up to two decimal places, ensuring rates are above the prevailing LAF repo rate.
  6. Action required: Ensure minimum bid amount of Rs 1 crore and multiples thereof for participation.
  7. Action required: Adjust liquidity planning considering that term repo reversals occur at start of day on maturity.
  8. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  9. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  10. 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.

Loading comments…
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=8501&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.
Public beta — plain-English informational summaries. Always verify against the official RBI source (circular number cited on every page) before making compliance, credit, treasury, audit, or operational decisions. · Join our WhatsApp channel ↗