HomeCirculars › RBI/2021-2022/87

Exim Bank USD 20.22 mn LoC to Guinea for Solar Projects

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2021-2022/87 · issued 19 Aug 2021 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks of Exim Bank's USD 20.22 million GoI-supported Line of Credit to Guinea for two solar projects. Banks must advise exporters on LoC terms, including 75% Indian content requirement, no agency commission, and 60-month utilization period.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore learns about this new Line of Credit from an RBI circular. She immediately calls her exporter client, Mr. Sharma, who makes solar panels, and says, 'Great news! Exim Bank has a USD 20.22 million loan for solar projects in Guinea. You can supply panels, but remember: 75% must be from India, and no agency commission from the loan money. Contact Exim Bank for the full terms.'

What changed

RBI circular informs AD Category-I banks about Exim Bank's new Line of Credit agreement with Guinea, effective August 11, 2021. The LoC finances two solar projects: electricity and drinking water for 7 public universities (USD 14.40 mn) and electrification/refrigeration in 200 health facilities (USD 5.82 mn).

What it means for you

Indian exporters can now access this LoC for eligible goods and services, with at least 75% of contract value sourced from India. Banks must ensure no agency commission is paid from LoC proceeds; exporters may use own EEFC balances for commission after full export realization. The 60-month utilization period starts from project completion.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of solar equipment and related services, 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 total value of this Line of Credit?

The LoC is for USD 20.22 million, split into two solar projects: USD 14.40 million for university solar and drinking water, and USD 5.82 million for health infrastructure electrification and refrigeration.

Can exporters pay agency commission under this LoC?

No agency commission is payable from LoC proceeds. Exporters may use their own resources or EEFC balances for commission in free foreign exchange, but only after full realization of the eligible export value.

What is the Indian content requirement for exports under this LoC?

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

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2021-2022/87 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.10 August 19, 2021 All Category – I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam/Sir Exim Bank's Government of India supported Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 20.22 million to the Government of the Republic of Guinea Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has entered into an agreement dated December 05, 2019 with the Government of the Republic of Guinea, for making available to the latter, Government of India supported Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 20.22 million (USD Twenty Million, Two Hundred Twenty Thousand only) for the purpose of financing two Solar Projects viz. (i) Solar Project for supply of electricity and drinking water for 7 public universities in Guinea (Cost USD 14.40 million) and (ii) Solar Project for Electrification and Refrigeration in 200 Health Infrastructure in Guinea (cost USD 5.82 million), in the Republic of Guinea. 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 August 11, 2021. 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/2021-2022/87 · issued 19 Aug 2021. 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 of solar equipment and related services, Exim Bank), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank USD 20.22 mn LoC to Guinea for Solar Projects” is: “Inform exporter constituents about the LoC details and direct them to Exim Bank for complete terms.” (RBI issued this 19 Aug 2021).

  1. Circular: RBI/2021-2022/87 -- Exim Bank USD 20.22 mn LoC to Guinea for Solar Projects
  2. Issued: 19 Aug 2021
  3. Action required: Inform exporter constituents about the LoC details and direct them to Exim Bank for complete terms.
  4. Action required: Ensure shipments under this LoC are declared in Export Declaration Form per RBI instructions.
  5. Action required: Verify that no agency commission is paid from LoC proceeds; allow remittance from exporter's own resources or EEFC only after full export value realization.
  6. Action required: Confirm that at least 75% of contract price goods/services are sourced from India.
  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=12147&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 ↗