HomeCirculars › RBI/2021-22/180

Interest Equalisation Scheme Extended Till March 2024

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2021-22/180 · issued 08 Mar 2022 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI extends the Interest Equalisation Scheme on rupee export credit to March 31, 2024. Rates revised: 3% for MSME manufacturer exporters, 2% for others. Telecom instruments excluded except for MSMEs. Beneficiaries under PLI schemes are ineligible.

What changed

The Government of India approved extending the Interest Equalisation Scheme for pre and post-shipment rupee export credit until March 31, 2024, effective from October 1, 2021. Telecom instruments (six HS lines) are removed from the scheme, except for MSME manufacturer exporters. Interest equalisation rates are now 3% for MSME manufacturer exporters across all HS lines and 2% for other manufacturer and merchant exporters under 410 HS lines. Beneficiaries availing any Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme are excluded from this scheme.

What it means for you

Banks must adjust their lending rates for eligible export credit by applying the revised subvention rates upfront from April 1, 2022. They need to provide transparent disclosure of interest rates, subvention, and net rates to exporters. For the period October 2021 to March 2022, banks must identify eligible exporters, credit accounts, and submit consolidated claims to RBI by April 30, 2022. From April 2022 onwards, claims must be submitted monthly within 15 days of month-end.

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

Who it affects

Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), Small Finance Banks, Primary (Urban) Cooperative Banks with AD Category-I license, EXIM Bank, Exporters availing rupee export credit

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

What are the revised interest equalisation rates under the extended scheme?

MSME manufacturer exporters get 3% on all HS lines; other manufacturer and merchant exporters get 2% on 410 HS lines (excluding six telecom HS lines).

Are exporters under PLI schemes eligible for this scheme?

No, the extended scheme explicitly excludes beneficiaries who are availing benefits under any Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

What is the deadline for banks to submit claims for the period October 2021 to March 2022?

Banks must submit sector-wise consolidated reimbursement claims to RBI by April 30, 2022.

📜 This document’s life story (2 recorded events, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Clarified by IES Extension Clarified for PLI Beneficiaries
RBI’s words: “Please refer to paragraph 2.4 of the circular No. DOR.STR.REC.93/04.02.001/2021-22 dated March 8, 2022”
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #263: DOR.STR.REC.93/04.02.001/2021-22 — "Interest Equalization Scheme on Pre and Post Shipment Rupee Export Credit - Extension" dated March 8, 2022”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2021-22/180 DOR.STR.REC.93/04.02.001/2021-22 March 8, 2022 All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), Small Finance Banks, Primary (Urban) Cooperative Banks (scheduled banks having AD category-I license), and EXIM Bank Dear Sir / Madam, Interest Equalization Scheme on Pre and Post Shipment Rupee Export Credit - Extension Please refer to the instructions issued vide circular DOR.CRE(DIR).REC.28/04.02.001/2021-22 dated July 1, 2021 . 2. Government of India has approved the extension of Interest Equalization Scheme for Pre and Post Shipment Rupee Export Credit (‘Scheme’) up to March 31, 2024 or till further review, whichever is earlier. The extension takes effect from October 1, 2021 and ends on March 31, 2024. The modifications made by the Government to the Scheme are detailed below: 2.1 ‘Telecom Instruments’ sector having six HS lines 1 shall be out of the purview of the Scheme, except for MSME manufacturer exporters. 2.2 Revised interest equalisation rates under the Scheme will now be 3 per cent for MSME manufacturer exporters exporting under any HS lines, and 2 per cent for manufacturer exporters and merchant exporters exporting under 410 HS lines (after excluding 6 HS lines pertaining to Telecom Sector as mentioned above). 2.3 Banks, while issuing approval to the exporter, will necessarily furnish i) the prevailing interest rate, ii) the interest subvention being provided, and iii) the net rate being charged to each exporter, so as to ensure transparency and greater accountability in the operation of the Scheme. 2.4 The extended Scheme will not be available to those beneficiaries who are availing the benefit under any Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme of the government. 3. For the period from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, banks shall identify the eligible exporters as per the Scheme, credit their accounts with the eligible amount of interest equalisation and submit sector-wise consolidated reimbursement claim for the said period to the Reserve Bank by April 30, 2022. 4. With effect from April 1, 2022, banks shall reduce the interest rate charged to the eligible exporters upfront as per the guidelines and submit the claims in original within 15 days from the end of the respective month, with bank’s seal, and signed by authorised person, in the prescribed format, as modified ( Annex I ). 5. Other provisions of the extant instructions issued by the Bank on the captioned Scheme shall remain unchanged. Yours faithfully (Manoranjan Mishra) Chief General Manager 1 Refer Sr. No. 25 of Annex 1 and Sr. Nos. 277 and 330 to 334 of Annexure-A of the circular DBR.Dir.BC.No.62/04.02.001/2015-16 dated December 4, 2015 and circular DCBR.CO.SCB.Cir.No.1/13.05.000/2015-16 dated February 11, 2016 .
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2021-22/180 · issued 08 Mar 2022. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12252&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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