HomeCirculars › RBI/2021-2022/160

Exim Bank USD 40 mn LoC to Maldives for Sports Infrastructure

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2021-2022/160 · issued 17 Feb 2022 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notified AD Category-I banks about Exim Bank's USD 40 million Government of India-supported Line of Credit to Maldives for sports infrastructure. At least 75% of contract value must be sourced from India. Banks must facilitate exports under FEMA rules.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore, Priya, helps a local exporter who wants to supply sports equipment to Maldives under this loan. She reminds him that 75% of the equipment must come from India, and he must fill out an Export Declaration Form for each shipment. Later, when he asks to pay a commission to a Maldives agent, Priya explains he can only do that from his own funds after he gets the full payment for the goods.

What changed

Exim Bank signed a LoC agreement with the Government of Maldives on September 2, 2021, effective February 8, 2022, for USD 40 million to develop sports infrastructure. The circular outlines the sourcing requirement (75% from India) and terminal utilization period (60 months from project completion).

What it means for you

Indian exporters can now bid for contracts under this LoC, with financing from Exim Bank. AD banks must ensure shipments are declared on Export Declaration Forms and that no agency commission is paid from LoC funds; commissions can only come from exporter's own resources or EEFC accounts after full export value realization.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods and services, Exim Bank, Government of Maldives

❓ 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 purpose of this USD 40 million Line of Credit?

It is for development of sports infrastructure in the Republic of Maldives, financed by Exim Bank under a Government of India-supported LoC.

What are the sourcing requirements for exporters under this LoC?

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

Can agency commission be paid from the LoC proceeds?

No, agency commission is not payable under this LoC. Exporters may use their own resources or EEFC balances for commission, and AD banks can allow remittance only after full export value realization.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2021-2022/160 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 25 February 17, 2022 All Category – I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam/Sir Exim Bank's Government of India supported Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 40 million to the Government of the Republic of Maldives Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has entered into an agreement dated September 02, 2021 with the Government of the Republic of Maldives, for making available to the latter, Government of India supported Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 40 million (USD Forty Million only) for the purpose of development of sports infrastructure. Under the arrangement, financing of export of eligible goods and services from India, as defined under the agreement, would be allowed subject to their being 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 the agreement, goods, works and 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 per cent of goods and services may be procured by the seller for the purpose of the eligible contract from outside India. 2. The Agreement under the LoC is effective from February 08, 2022. Under the LoC, the terminal utilization period is 60 months from the scheduled completion date of the project. 3. Shipments under the LoC shall be declared in Export Declaration Form as per instructions issued by the Reserve Bank from time to time. 4. No agency commission is payable for export 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 (AD) Category- I banks may allow such remittance after realization of full eligible value of export subject to compliance with the extant 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 complete details of the LoC from the Exim Bank’s office at Centre One, Floor 21, World Trade Centre Complex, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005 or from their website www.eximbankindia.in 6. The directions contained in this circular have been issued under section 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 (R. S. Amar) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2021-2022/160 · issued 17 Feb 2022. 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 (AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods and services, Exim Bank, Government of Maldives), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank USD 40 mn LoC to Maldives for Sports Infrastructure” is: “Inform exporter constituents about the LoC details and direct them to Exim Bank for complete information.” (RBI issued this 17 Feb 2022).

  1. Circular: RBI/2021-2022/160 -- Exim Bank USD 40 mn LoC to Maldives for Sports Infrastructure
  2. Issued: 17 Feb 2022
  3. Action required: Inform exporter constituents about the LoC details and direct them to Exim Bank for complete information.
  4. Action required: Ensure all shipments under this LoC are declared on Export Declaration Forms as per RBI instructions.
  5. Action required: Verify that at least 75% of contract value is sourced from India for each eligible contract.
  6. Action required: Allow agency commission remittances only after full export value realization and from exporter's own resources or EEFC accounts.
  7. Action required: Monitor terminal utilization period of 60 months from project completion date.
  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=12232&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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