Home › Circulars › RBI/2013-14/326

SME Rating Agency renamed SMERA Ratings Limited

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/326 · issued 17 Oct 2013 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies that SME Rating Agency of India Ltd. is now SMERA Ratings Limited. Banks must use the new name for capital adequacy risk weighting. Rating symbols remain unchanged.

What changed

The credit rating agency previously known as SME Rating Agency of India Ltd. has changed its name to SMERA Ratings Limited. RBI has updated its master circulars on capital adequacy and Basel III regulations to reflect this name change. The agency's SEBI registration certificate was issued on August 14, 2013.

What it means for you

Banks must update their internal systems and documentation to reference SMERA Ratings Limited instead of the old name when using external credit ratings for risk weighting capital adequacy claims. The change is purely administrative; rating symbols and all other provisions remain unchanged.

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

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding Local Area Banks and Regional Rural Banks), Credit risk management teams, Capital adequacy compliance teams

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

Does this name change affect the rating symbols used by SMERA?

No, the rating symbols remain unchanged after the name change.

When did SEBI issue the new registration certificate to SMERA?

SEBI issued the Certificate of Registration on August 14, 2013.

Which master circulars are being updated by this notification?

The master circulars on 'Prudential Guidelines on Capital Adequacy and Market Discipline - New Capital Adequacy Framework (NCAF)' and 'Basel III Capital Regulations', both dated July 1, 2013.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #1004: DBOD.BP.BC.No.59/21.06.007/2013-14 — "Change of Name of SME Rating Agency of India Limited to SMERA Ratings Limited (SMERA)" dated October 17, 2013”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/326 DBOD.BP.BC.No.59/21.06.007/2013-14 October 17, 2013 The Chairman and Managing Director/The Chief Executive Officer All Scheduled Commercial Banks (Excluding Local Area Banks and Regional Rural Banks) Dear Sir, Change of Name of SME Rating Agency of India Limited to SMERA Ratings Limited (SMERA) Please refer to the Master Circular No. DBOD.No.BP.BC.9/21.06.001/2012-13 dated July 1, 2013 on 'Prudential Guidelines on Capital Adequacy and Market Discipline - New Capital Adequacy Framework (NCAF)' and Master Circular DBOD.No.BP.BC.2/ 21.06.201/2013-14 dated July 1, 2013 on Basel III Capital Regulations. 2. In terms of paragraph 6 of the said circulars, M/s. SME Rating Agency of India Limited has been accredited for the purpose of risk weighting the banks' claims for capital adequacy purposes along with other credit rating agencies (CRAs). The agency has now changed its name to SMERA Ratings Limited. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued the necessary Certificate of Registration on August 14, 2013. Accordingly, reference to ‘SME Rating Agency of India Ltd.’ in paragraph 6 of the said circulars is revised to read as ‘SMERA Ratings Limited’. There is no change in the rating symbols of the CRA subsequent to change in name. 3. All other provisions regarding external credit ratings of the master circulars remain unchanged. Yours faithfully, (Chandan Sinha) Principal Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/326 · issued 17 Oct 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related
Most relevant forCompliance TeamRisk ManagementCredit Manager / UnderwritingInternal AuditSenior Management / Board
🛠 Banker’s toolkit — checklists & reply templates →
Related circulars · Department of Regulation
SFB Pillar 3 Disclosure Norms Aligned with BaselUCB Deposit Rate Disclosure & Uniformity Rules UpdatedLAB Deposit Rate Disclosure & Uniformity Rules TightenedPayments Banks: Interest Rates Must Match Disclosed ScheduleRBI Updates Bulk Deposit Rate Rules and Disclosure Timing
Browse all departments →

💬 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=8510&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 ↗
—