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No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet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
Identify eligible exporters for the period October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, credit their accounts with the equalisation amount, and submit sector-wise consolidated claims to RBI by April 30, 2022.
From April 1, 2022, reduce interest rates upfront for eligible exporters as per revised rates (3% for MSME manufacturers, 2% for others) and submit monthly claims within 15 days of month-end.
Ensure that while approving export credit, you disclose the prevailing interest rate, interest subvention, and net rate to each exporter.
Verify that beneficiaries are not availing any PLI scheme benefits before extending the scheme's benefits.
Exclude telecom instruments (six HS lines) from the scheme unless the exporter is an MSME manufacturer.
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
Stated effective dateeffective from October 1, 2021
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 byRBI/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.
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.
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=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.
Help us keep this accurate
Found an inaccuracy or have an improvement? Tell us. Every report is reviewed by our team before any change is made — nothing goes live unverified.
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 ↗
BANKPULSE · FREE DAILY BRIEF
Get RBI updates for your role
Every important RBI update, decoded in plain English — for your career, exams & financial awareness.
We collect only your email, name and role, used solely to send your brief — never sold or shared. Withdraw anytime via the unsubscribe link in any email. Independent platform, not affiliated with the RBI. Information, not legal advice.
REPORT AN ERROR · BETA
Spotted an error? Earn 500 BankPulse Credits
Help us stay accurate. If your correction is verified true and approved by our founder, you earn 500 BankPulse Credits — redeemable when the platform monetises.
Reviewed by a human before any credit is awarded. We never change the site from crowd input without verification.
WANT A NEW FEATURE · BETA
What would make BankPulse more useful for you?
Tell us what to build next — a tool, a data view, a role page, anything. We read every suggestion.
Thank you — your ideas directly shape what we build.