Bilateral Netting of QFCs: Prudential Guideline Amendments
No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2020-21/115 · issued 30 Mar 2021 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI amended prudential guidelines to align with the Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Act, 2020. Derivatives, repo, and reverse repo are now QFCs. Changes affect Basel III capital, NSFR, NPA norms, and capital adequacy frameworks, effective immediately for all scheduled commercial banks except RRBs.
What changed
RBI updated four key circulars—Basel III Capital Regulations, NSFR guidelines, IRAC norms for advances, and the New Capital Adequacy Framework—to incorporate the legal framework for bilateral netting of QFCs. The amendments follow the notification of derivatives and repo/reverse repo as QFCs under the Act.
What it means for you
Banks can now legally net exposures under QFCs for capital and liquidity calculations, reducing counterparty risk and capital requirements. This aligns Indian prudential norms with international standards, potentially lowering regulatory capital for derivative and repo transactions. Lenders must update their internal systems to reflect netting benefits in reporting.
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
Review and update internal policies for capital adequacy and liquidity to reflect bilateral netting of QFCs.
Ensure systems can calculate net exposures for derivatives and repo/reverse repo under the new framework.
Train risk and compliance teams on the amended prudential guidelines from the four referenced circulars.
Validate that netting arrangements meet the legal enforceability criteria under the Act.
Who it affects
All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Risk management departments, Treasury and derivatives desks, Compliance and regulatory reporting teams
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-18 08:26 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 qualifies as a QFC under this notification?
Derivatives and repo/reverse repo transactions as defined under Section 45(U) of the RBI Act, 1934, as notified by RBI on March 9, 2021.
When do these amendments take effect?
The revised instructions come into force with immediate effect from March 30, 2021.
Which specific circulars were amended?
Four circulars: Basel III Capital Regulations (July 1, 2015), NSFR guidelines (May 17, 2018), IRAC norms for advances (July 1, 2015), and NCAF (July 1, 2015).
📜 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 #320: DOR.CAP.51/21.06.201/2020-21 — "Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts - Amendments to Prudential Guidelines" dated March 30, 2021”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2020-21/115
DOR.CAP.51/21.06.201/2020-21
March 30, 2021
All Scheduled Commercial Banks
(excluding Regional Rural Banks)
Madam / Dear Sir,
Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts- Amendments to Prudential Guidelines
The Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Act, 2020 (hereafter referred to as “the Act”), has been notified by the Government of India vide Gazette Notification No. S.O. 3463(E) dated October 1, 2020. The Act provides a legal framework for enforceability of bilateral netting of qualified financial contracts (QFC).
2. In exercise of the powers conferred by section 4(a) of the Act, the Reserve Bank, vide Notification no. FMRD.DIRD.2/14.03.043/2020-21 dated March 9, 2021, has since notified (a) “derivatives”; and (b) “repo” and “reverse repo” transactions as defined under Section 45(U) of Chapter III-D of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 as a QFC.
3. Accordingly, select instructions contained in the following circulars have been modified/ amended appropriately:
a) Master Circular DBR.No.BP.BC.1/21.06.201/2015-16 dated July 1, 2015 on ‘Basel III Capital Regulations’ as provided in Annex 1 ;
b) Circular DBR.BP.BC.No.106/21.04.098/2017-18 dated May 17, 2018 on ‘Basel III Framework on Liquidity Standards – Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) – Final Guidelines’ as provided in Annex 2 ;
c) Master Circular DBR.No.BP.BC.2/21.04.048/2015-16 dated July 1, 2015 on ‘Prudential norms on Income Recognition, Asset Classification and Provisioning pertaining to Advances’ as provided in Annex 3 ; and
d) Master Circular DBR.No.BP.BC.4./21.06.001/2015-16 dated July 1, 2015 on Prudential Guidelines on Capital Adequacy and Market Discipline-New Capital Adequacy Framework (NCAF) as provided in Annex 4 .
The revised instructions come into force with immediate effect.
Yours faithfully,
(Usha Janakiraman)
Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2020-21/115 · issued 30 Mar 2021. 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=12048&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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