Zero Risk Weight for Credit Guarantee Schemes Expanded
No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2022-23/113 · issued 07 Sep 2022 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI extends zero percent risk weight to all existing and future schemes of CGTMSE, CRGFTLIH, and NCGTC, provided guarantees are direct, explicit, irrevocable, and unconditional. Residual exposures beyond guarantee caps face risk weights as applicable to the counterparty.
What changed
Previously, zero percent risk weight applied only to specific schemes under CGTMSE, CRGFTLIH, and NCGTC. Now, it covers all existing and future schemes from these trust funds, subject to conditions like guarantee irrevocability and timely settlement within 30 days of lodgement. For portfolio-level guarantees, first-loss portions must be fully deducted from capital from April 1, 2023.
What it means for you
Banks can reduce capital requirements on guaranteed portions of exposures, freeing up capital for lending. However, residual exposures beyond guarantee caps or first-loss pieces will attract higher risk weights or full deduction, requiring careful structuring. This aligns prudential norms across guarantee schemes and encourages lending to micro, small, and low-income housing sectors.
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
Review all existing and new exposures under CGTMSE, CRGFTLIH, and NCGTC to apply zero risk weight only on guaranteed portions meeting RBI conditions.
For portfolio-level guarantees, identify first-loss absorption amounts and prepare to deduct them fully from capital from April 1, 2023.
Ensure guarantee documentation confirms direct, explicit, irrevocable, and unconditional nature for credit risk mitigation eligibility.
Monitor claim settlement timelines: guarantees must allow lodgement within 60 days of default and settlement within 30 days.
Who it affects
All Scheduled Commercial Banks including RRBs, Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies including HFCs, All-India Financial Institutions
repealed_by — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
Status change: withdrawn03 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
Does this circular apply to all guarantee schemes under CGTMSE, CRGFTLIH, and NCGTC?
Yes, zero percent risk weight applies to any existing or future scheme from these trust funds, provided the guarantees meet conditions like being direct, explicit, irrevocable, and unconditional, and settlement occurs within 30 days of lodgement.
How should we treat exposures where the guarantee has a payout cap or first-loss clause?
Zero risk weight applies only up to the maximum permissible claim. The residual exposure must be risk-weighted as per the counterparty's standard. For portfolio-level guarantees, the first-loss portion must be fully deducted from capital from April 1, 2023.
What happens if the guarantee does not meet the settlement timeline?
If a future scheme does not provide for lodgement within 60 days of default and settlement within 30 days, it will not be eligible for zero percent risk weight under this circular.
📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed byRBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #218: DOR.STR.REC.67/21.06.201/2022-23 — "Review of Prudential Norms - Risk Weights for Exposures guaranteed by Credit Guarantee Schemes (CGS)" dated September 7, 20”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2022-23/113
DOR.STR.REC.67/21.06.201/2022-23
September 07, 2022
All Scheduled Commercial Banks (including Regional Rural Banks)
All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks
All Non-Banking Financial Companies (including Housing Finance Companies)
All All-India Financial Institutions
Dear Sir/Madam,
Review of Prudential Norms – Risk Weights for Exposures guaranteed by Credit Guarantee Schemes (CGS)
Please refer to paragraph 5.2 of the Master Circular on Basel III Capital Regulations dated April 1, 2022 in terms of which banks are permitted to apply zero percent risk weights in respect of claims on Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), Credit Risk Guarantee Fund Trust for Low Income Housing (CRGFTLIH) and individual schemes under National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd (NCGTC).
2. In order to have a consistent approach with regard to risk weights for exposures guaranteed by such Trust Funds, it is advised that the risk weight of zero percent shall be applicable in respect of exposures guaranteed under any existing or future schemes launched by CGTMSE, CRGFTLIH and NCGTC satisfying the following conditions:
Prudential Aspects: The guarantees provided under the respective schemes should comply with the requirements for credit risk mitigation in terms of paragraph 7.5 of the Master Circular on Basel III Capital Regulations dated April 1, 2022 which inter alia requires such guarantees to be direct, explicit, irrevocable and unconditional;
Restrictions on permissible claims: Where the terms of the guarantee schemes restrict the maximum permissible claims through features like specified extent of guarantee coverage, clause on first loss absorption by member lending institutions (MLI), payout cap, etc., the zero percent risk weight shall be restricted to the maximum permissible claim and the residual exposure shall be subjected to risk weight as applicable to the counterparty in terms of extant regulations.
In case of a portfolio-level guarantee, effective from April 1, 2023, the extent of exposure subjected to first loss absorption by the MLI, if any, shall be subjected to full capital deduction and the residual exposure shall be subjected to risk weight as applicable to the counterparty in terms of extant regulations, on a pro rata basis. The maximum capital charge shall be capped at a notional level arrived at by treating the entire exposure as unguaranteed.
3. Further, subject to the aforementioned prescriptions at paragraph 2 above, any future scheme launched under any of the aforementioned Trust Funds, in order to be eligible for zero percent risk weight, shall provide for settlement of the eligible guaranteed claims within thirty days from the date of lodgement, and the lodgement shall be permitted within sixty days from the date of default.
4. Some illustrative examples of risk weights applicable on claims guaranteed under specific existing schemes are given in the Annex .
5. The above regulatory stipulation shall be applicable to all the regulated entities to whom this circular is addressed, to the extent these entities are recognised as eligible MLIs under the respective schemes.
Yours faithfully,
(Manoranjan Mishra)
Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2022-23/113 · issued 07 Sep 2022. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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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=12384&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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