HomeCirculars › RBI/2022-2023/137

Exim Bank's $300 Mn LoC for Mauritius Metro Phase-IV

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2022-2023/137 · issued 17 Nov 2022 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks of Exim Bank's $300 million GoI-supported Line of Credit to SBMIDCL for Mauritius Metro Express Phase-IV. At least 75% of contract value must be sourced from India. Banks must inform exporters and handle related FEMA compliance.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore gets a call from a local exporter who wants to supply railway parts for the Mauritius Metro Phase-IV. The officer explains the Exim Bank loan rules, checks that 75% of the parts will be made in India, and helps the exporter fill out the Export Declaration Form. Later, when the exporter asks to pay a small commission to a Mauritius agent, the officer says, 'You can only pay that from your own account after we confirm the full payment for the goods has come in.'

What changed

Exim Bank signed a $300 million Line of Credit agreement with SBM (Mauritius) Infrastructure Development Company Ltd on October 17, 2022, effective November 7, 2022. The LoC finances Phase-IV of the Mauritius Metro Express Project via redeemable preference shares in public sector entities. At least 75% of goods, works, and services must be sourced from India, with the remaining 25% allowed from outside India.

What it means for you

Indian exporters can now participate in a major infrastructure project in Mauritius with assured financing from Exim Bank. AD banks must ensure that export documentation (EDF/Shipping Bill) follows RBI norms and that no agency commission is paid from LoC proceeds; any commission must come from exporter's own resources or EEFC account after full export value realization. This strengthens India's export footprint in Africa and supports the 'Make in India' initiative.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods and services, Exim Bank, SBM (Mauritius) Infrastructure Development Company Ltd

❓ 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 minimum Indian content requirement under this LoC?

At least 75% of the contract price for goods, works, and services must be supplied from India; the remaining 25% can be procured from outside India.

Can exporters pay agency commission on exports under this LoC?

No agency commission is payable from LoC proceeds. If needed, exporters must use their own resources or balances in their Exchange Earners' Foreign Currency Account, and remittance is allowed only after full export value realization.

What is the validity period of this Line of Credit?

The LoC is effective from November 7, 2022, and the terminal utilization period is 48 months from the scheduled completion date of the project.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2022-2023/137 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.18 November 17, 2022 All Category – I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam/Sir Exim Bank’s GoI supported Line of Credit of USD 300 Mn to the SBM (Mauritius) Infrastructure Development Company Ltd. for Construction of Phase-IV of the Mauritius Metro Express Project in Mauritius Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has entered into an agreement dated October 17, 2022 with the SBM (Mauritius) Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (SBMIDCL), for making available to the latter, Government of India supported Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 300 million (USD Three Hundred Million Only) for the purpose of financing its participation through Redeemable Preference Shares in public sector entities to implement the construction of Phase-IV of the Metro Express Project in Mauritius. The export of eligible goods and services from India for the purpose of the construction of Phase-IV of the Metro Express Project in Mauritius, as defined under the agreement, would be allowed subject to their eligibility 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 November 07, 2022. Under the LoC, the terminal utilization period is 48 months from the scheduled completion date of the project. 3. Shipments under the LoC shall be declared in Export Declaration Form/Shipping Bill 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 (Vivek Srivastava) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2022-2023/137 · issued 17 Nov 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, SBM (Mauritius) Infrastructure Development Company Ltd), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's $300 Mn LoC for Mauritius Metro Phase-IV” is: “Inform exporter constituents about the LoC details and direct them to Exim Bank for complete information.” (RBI issued this 17 Nov 2022).

  1. Circular: RBI/2022-2023/137 -- Exim Bank's $300 Mn LoC for Mauritius Metro Phase-IV
  2. Issued: 17 Nov 2022
  3. Action required: Inform exporter constituents about the LoC details and direct them to Exim Bank for complete information.
  4. Action required: Ensure shipments under this LoC are declared on Export Declaration Form/Shipping Bill as per RBI instructions.
  5. Action required: Verify that at least 75% of contract value is sourced from India before processing export documents.
  6. Action required: Allow agency commission remittances only after full export value realization and from exporter's own resources or EEFC account.
  7. Action required: Comply with FEMA sections 10(4) and 11(1) while processing related transactions.
  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=12409&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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