HomeCirculars › RBI/2013-2014/445

Exim Bank's $125 mn Line of Credit to Sudan for Sugar Project

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-2014/445 · issued 13 Jan 2014 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks about Exim Bank's USD 125 million Line of Credit to Sudan's government for the Mashkour Sugar Project. At least 75% of contract value must be sourced from India. Banks must advise exporters and handle GR/SDF declarations accordingly.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore gets a call from an exporter who wants to sell sugar-making machines to Sudan. The officer explains that Exim Bank's $125 million loan covers this, but the exporter must buy at least 75% of the machines from Indian factories. The officer helps the exporter fill out the GR form and reminds them that no agent commission can be paid from the loan—only from their own foreign currency account after the full payment is received.

What changed

Exim Bank signed a Line of Credit agreement with Sudan on July 24, 2013, effective December 20, 2013, for USD 125 million to finance the Mashkour Sugar Project. The circular outlines sourcing requirements (75% Indian content), timelines for LCs and disbursement (48 months for projects, 72 months for supply contracts), and rules on agency commission.

What it means for you

Indian exporters can now tap this credit line for sugar project-related exports to Sudan, with assured financing from Exim Bank. Banks must ensure compliance with FEMA provisions, including proper GR/SDF form declarations and commission payment rules. The 75% local sourcing mandate boosts Indian goods and services exports.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters to Sudan, Exim Bank

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

What is the minimum Indian content required under this LOC?

At least 75% of the contract price must be supplied from India; the remaining 25% can be procured from outside India.

What are the last dates for opening LCs and disbursement?

For project exports, 48 months from scheduled completion date; for supply contracts, 72 months from July 24, 2013 (i.e., July 23, 2019).

Can exporters pay agency commission under this LOC?

No agency commission is payable under the LOC. However, exporters may use their own resources or EEFC balances to pay commission in free foreign exchange after full contract payment realization.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-2014/445 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 91 January 13, 2014 To, All Category - I Authorised Dealer banks Madam/Sir, Exim Bank's Line of Credit of USD 125 million to the Government of the Republic of Sudan Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has entered into an Agreement dated July 24, 2013 with the Government of the Republic of Sudan, for making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 125 million (USD One Hundred and Twenty Five million) for financing eligible goods, services, machinery and equipment including consultancy services from India for the purpose of financing of Mashkour (earlier Elduem) Sugar Project in Sudan. The goods, services, machinery and equipment including consultancy services from India for exports under this Agreement are those which are eligible for export under the Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India and whose purchase may be agreed to be financed by the Exim Bank under this Agreement. Out of the total credit by Exim Bank under this Agreement, the goods and services including consultancy services of the value of at least 75 per cent of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India and the remaining 25 percent goods and services may be procured by the seller for the purpose of Eligible Contract from outside India. 2. The Credit Agreement under the LOC is effective from December 20, 2013 and the date of execution of Agreement is July 24, 2013. Under the LOC, the last date for opening of Letters of Credit and Disbursement will be 48 months from the scheduled completion date(s) of contract(s) in the case of project exports and 72 months (July 23, 2019) from the execution date of the Credit Agreement in the case of supply contracts. 3. Shipments under the LOC will have to be declared on GR / SDF Forms as per instructions issued by the Reserve Bank from time to time. 4. No agency commission is payable under the above LOC. However, if required, the exporter may use his own resources or utilize balances in his Exchange Earners’ Foreign Currency Account for payment of commission in free foreign exchange. Authorised Dealer Category- l (AD Category-l) banks may allow such remittance after realization of full payment of contract value subject to compliance with the prevailing instructions for payment of agency commission. 5. AD Category-I banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their exporter constituents and advise them to obtain full details of the Line of Credit from the Exim Bank’s office at Centre One, Floor 21, World Trade Centre Complex, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005  or log on to www.eximbankindia.in . 6. The Directions contained in this circular have been issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 (42 of 1999) and are without prejudice to permissions / approvals, if any, required under any other law. Yours faithfully, (C. D. Srinivasan) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-2014/445 · issued 13 Jan 2014. 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 (AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters to Sudan, Exim Bank), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's $125 mn Line of Credit to Sudan for Sugar Project” is: “Advise exporter customers about the LOC details and direct them to Exim Bank for full terms.” (RBI issued this 13 Jan 2014).

  1. Circular: RBI/2013-2014/445 -- Exim Bank's $125 mn Line of Credit to Sudan for Sugar Project
  2. Issued: 13 Jan 2014
  3. Action required: Advise exporter customers about the LOC details and direct them to Exim Bank for full terms.
  4. Action required: Ensure shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
  5. Action required: Verify that at least 75% of contract value is sourced from India before processing remittances.
  6. Action required: Allow agency commission remittances only after full contract payment realization, using exporter's own resources or EEFC balances.
  7. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  8. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  9. 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=8690&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 ↗