HomeCirculars › RBI/2013-14/560

RDA Direct-to-Account Remittances via Electronic Mode

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/560 · issued 10 Apr 2014 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI now allows foreign inward remittances under Rupee Drawing Arrangement to be credited directly to KYC-compliant beneficiary accounts via NEFT/IMPS, with strict originator info and alert tagging.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A KYC & compliance officer in Indore, working at a Partner Bank, receives a foreign inward remittance from a Non-resident Exchange House. They ensure the remittance is credited directly to the beneficiary's account via NEFT, with accurate originator and beneficiary information, and an alert flagging it as a foreign inward remittance. The Recipient Bank verifies the beneficiary's KYC compliance before crediting the amount.

What changed

Earlier, RDA remittances were credited only to the beneficiary’s account held with the Partner Bank’s vostro account; now they can be transferred electronically to the beneficiary’s bank account via NEFT/IMPS, subject to KYC compliance.

What it means for you

Banks can now offer faster, electronic settlement of RDA remittances, reducing manual intervention and improving customer experience. However, recipient banks must ensure KYC compliance before crediting, and partner banks must embed clear alerts and originator details to prevent misuse. This tightens AML/CFT controls across the payment chain.

What you must do

Who it affects

Category-I Authorised Dealer Banks (Partner Banks), Recipient Banks (where beneficiary accounts are held), Non-resident Exchange Houses under RDA, Beneficiaries of foreign inward remittances

❓ Common questions

Can we credit RDA remittances to non-KYC compliant accounts?

No. The recipient bank must first complete KYC/CDD of the beneficiary before crediting or allowing withdrawal from such accounts.

What information must be included in the electronic remittance message?

Accurate originator information, necessary beneficiary details, and an alert indicating it is a foreign inward remittance that should not be credited to a KYC non-compliant account.

Does this circular replace earlier RDA instructions?

No. All other instructions from A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 28 dated February 6, 2008, as amended, remain unchanged.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/560 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.120 April 10, 2014 To All Category – I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam / Sir, Rupee Drawing Arrangement – ‘Direct to Account’ Facility Attention of Authorised Dealer Category – I (AD Cat – I) banks is invited to the A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 28 [A. P. (FL/RL Series) Circular No. 02] dated February 6, 2008 on Memorandum of Instructions for Opening and Maintenance of Rupee / Foreign Currency Vostro Accounts of Non-resident Exchange Houses, as amended from time to time. 2. In order to facilitate receipt of foreign inward remittances directly into bank accounts of the beneficiaries, it has been decided to allow foreign inward remittances received under Rupee Drawing Arrangement (RDA) to be transferred to the KYC compliant beneficiary bank accounts through electronic mode, such as, NEFT, IMPS, etc. The procedure to be followed for the purpose will be as under: 3. Foreign inward remittances received by the AD Cat-I Bank (termed as ‘Partner Bank’) having RDA with Non Resident Exchange Houses may be credited directly to the account of the beneficiary held with a bank other than the AD Cat-I Bank (termed as ‘Recipient Bank’) electronically, subject to the following conditions: The Recipient Bank will credit the amount transferred by the Partner Bank only to the KYC compliant bank accounts. In respect of the bank accounts which are not KYC compliant, the Recipient Bank shall carry out KYC/CDD of the recipient before the remittance to such account is credited or allowed to be withdrawn. The Partner Bank (i.e. the AD Cat-I Bank receiving foreign inward remittance through non-resident exchange houses under RDA) shall appropriately mark the direct-to-account remittances to indicate to the Recipient Bank that it is a foreign inward remittance. The Partner Bank shall ensure that accurate originator information and necessary beneficiary information is included in the electronic message while transferring the fund to the Recipient Bank. This information should be available in the remittance message throughout the payment chain, i.e., the Non Resident Exchange House, the Partner Bank and the Recipient Bank. The Partner Bank should add an appropriate alert in the electronic message indicating that this is a foreign inward remittance and should not be credited to a KYC non-compliant account. The identification and other documents of the recipient shall be maintained by the Recipient Bank as per the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005. All other requirements under KYC/AML/CFT guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India from time to time shall be adhered to by the Partner Bank. The Recipient Bank may seek additional information from the Partner Bank and shall report suspicious transactions to the FIU-IND with details of the Partner Bank through which they received the remittances. 3. All other instructions issued vide A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 28 [A. P. (FL/RL Series) Circular No. 02] dated February 6, 2008, as amended from time to time, will remain unchanged. 4. AD Cat-I Banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their constituents concerned. 5. The directions contained in this circular have been issued under Section 10(4) and Section 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999) and are without prejudice to permissions / approvals, if any, required under any other law. Yours faithfully, (Rudra Narayan Kar) Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/560 · issued 10 Apr 2014. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (Category-I Authorised Dealer Banks (Partner Banks), Recipient Banks (where beneficiary accounts are held), Non-resident Exchange Houses under RDA, Beneficiaries of foreign inward remittances), your first concrete step on “RDA Direct-to-Account Remittances via Electronic Mode” is: “Update RDA operating procedures to enable electronic transfer (NEFT/IMPS) to recipient banks for KYC-compliant accounts.” (RBI issued this 10 Apr 2014).

  1. Circular: RBI/2013-14/560 -- RDA Direct-to-Account Remittances via Electronic Mode
  2. Issued: 10 Apr 2014
  3. Action required: Update RDA operating procedures to enable electronic transfer (NEFT/IMPS) to recipient banks for KYC-compliant accounts.
  4. Action required: Ensure electronic messages include accurate originator and beneficiary info and an alert flagging the remittance as foreign inward.
  5. Action required: Recipient banks must verify KYC compliance before crediting; for non-compliant accounts, complete CDD first.
  6. Action required: Partner banks must report suspicious transactions to FIU-IND with recipient bank details.
  7. Action required: Train staff on the new direct-to-account process and AML/CFT obligations.
  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.

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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=8832&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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