Home › Circulars › RBI/2023-24/75

RBI Hikes Bulk Deposit Threshold for RRBs to ₹1 Crore

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No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet

Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2023-24/75 · issued 26 Oct 2023 · ~1 min read

Quick answerRBI raised the bulk deposit limit for Regional Rural Banks from ₹15 lakh to ₹1 crore, aligning it closer to commercial bank norms. This reduces regulatory burden on RRBs for larger deposits and simplifies compliance.

What changed

Previously, for RRBs, any single rupee term deposit of ₹15 lakh or more was classified as a bulk deposit. Now, the threshold has been raised to ₹1 crore, meaning only deposits of ₹1 crore and above will be treated as bulk deposits for RRBs.

What it means for you

RRBs can now accept deposits up to ₹99.99 lakh without triggering bulk deposit reporting and pricing rules. This gives RRBs more flexibility in pricing and managing larger retail deposits, potentially improving their deposit mobilization and reducing compliance costs.

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

Update internal systems and product definitions to reflect the new bulk deposit threshold of ₹1 crore for RRBs.
Review and revise deposit pricing strategies for term deposits between ₹15 lakh and ₹1 crore, as they are no longer bulk deposits.
Communicate the change to branch staff and treasury teams to ensure consistent application of bulk deposit rules.
Ensure compliance with all other unchanged instructions in the Master Direction on Interest Rate on Deposits.

Who it affects

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Deposit operations teams at RRBs, Treasury and ALM teams at RRBs, Compliance departments of RRBs

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Decoded by BankPulse 2026-06-18 04:11 IST
repealed_by — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
Status change: withdrawn 03 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST

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

What was the old bulk deposit limit for RRBs?

The old limit was ₹15 lakh and above for single rupee term deposits.

Does this change affect Scheduled Commercial Banks or Small Finance Banks?

No, the change applies only to Regional Rural Banks. For SCBs and SFBs, the bulk deposit threshold remains at ₹2 crore.

When did this revision take effect?

The circular was issued on October 26, 2023, and the revised definition is effective from that date.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)

Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)

RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #160: DoR.SPE.REC.50/13.03.00/2023-2024 — "Review of Instructions on Bulk Deposits for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)" dated October 26, 2023”

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI

Notifications - Reserve Bank of India Skip to main content Selected Selected Change Language हिंदी Search the Website Search Home About Us ▼ About Us Organisation & Functions ▶ Organisation Structure Departments Offices Training Establishment ▶ College of Agricultural Banking Reserve Bank Staff College College of Supervisors RBI's Functions and Working Governors Deputy Governors Executive Directors Communication Policy of RBI Sources of Information ▶ Annual Publications Half-yearly Publications Quarterly Publications Monthly Publications Weekly Publications Occasional Publications SDDS NSDP Data Releases Publications available on Subscription General Information RBI History Museum ▶ The RBI Museum RBI Monetary Museum Notification ▼ Notifications Master Directions Master Circulars Amendment Directions Draft Notifications/Guidelines ▶ Draft Notifications/Guidelines Draft Directions (RE-wise) Index To RBI Circulars Standalone Circulars Circulars Withdrawn Press Releases Speeches & Media Interactions ▼ Speeches Media Interactions Memorial Lectures Podcasts Publications ▼ Biennial Annual Half-Yearly Quarterly Bi-monthly Monthly Weekly Occasional Reports Working Papers Legal Framework ▼ Act Rules Regulations Schemes Research ▼ External Research Schemes RBI Occasional Papers Working Papers RBI Bulletin History DRG Studies KLEMS State Statistics and Finances Statistics ▼ Data Releases Database on Indian Economy Public Debt Statistics Regulatory Reporting ▼ List of Returns Data Definition Validation rules/ Taxonomy List of RBI Reporting Portals FAQs of RBI Reporting Portals Home Notifications Notifications ( 841 kb ) Review of Instructions on Bulk Deposits for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) RBI/2023-24/75 DoR.SPE.REC.50/13.03.00/2023-2024 October 26, 2023 All Regional Rural Banks Sir / Madam, Review of Instructions on Bulk Deposits for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) Please refer to Para 3 (a) (i) of Master Direction - Reserve Bank of India (Interest Rate on Deposits) Directions, 2016 dated March 3, 2016 , in terms of which “Bulk Deposit” means: Single Rupee term deposits of Rupees two crore and above for Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) and Small Finance Banks. Single Rupee term deposits of Rupees fifteen lakhs and above for RRBs. 2. On a review, it has been decided to enhance the bulk deposit limit for Regional Rural Banks. Accordingly, “Bulk Deposit” for Regional Rural Banks would now mean Single Rupee term deposits of Rupees one crore and above. The relevant sections of the Master Direction as amended are indicated in the Annex . 3. All other instructions in this regard shall remain unchanged. Yours faithfully, (Sunil T. S. Nair) Chief General Manager Enclosure: As above ANNEX Amendments to Master Directions Sl. No. Existing Section Amended Section A. Master Direction – Reserve Bank of India (Interest Rate on Deposits) Directions, 2016 dated March 03, 2016 (Updated as on September 16, 2022) Para 3 (a) (i) Definitions (a) In these Directions, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms herein shall bear the meanings assigned to them below: (i) “Bulk Deposit” means : i. Single Rupee term deposits of Rupees two crore and above for Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) and Small Finance Banks. ii. Single Rupee term deposits of Rupees fifteen lakh and above for RRBs. Definitions (a) In these Directions, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms herein shall bear the meanings assigned to them below: (i) “Bulk Deposit” means : i. Single Rupee term deposits of Rupees two crore and above for Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) and Small Finance Banks. ii. Single Rupee term deposits of Rupees one crore and above for RRBs. 2026 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2025 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2024 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2023 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2022 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2021 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2020 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2019 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2018 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2017 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December Archives 2016 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2015 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2014 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2013 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2012 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2011 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2010 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2009 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2008 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2007 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2006 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2005 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2004 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2003 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2002 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2001 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2000 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1999 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1998 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1997 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1996 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1995 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1994 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1993 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1992 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1991 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December Top Back to previous page More Links Bank Holidays Banking Glossary Citizen's Charter Complaints Contact Us COVID-19 Measures E-LMS Events FAQs Financial Education Forms IFSC/MICR Codes Important Websites Opportunities @ RBI RBI Clarifications RBI Kehta Hai RBI’s Vision and Values (1257 kb)--> Right to Information Act Tenders Follow RBI RSS Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook LinkedIn &copy; Reserve Bank of India. 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Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2023-24/75 · issued 26 Oct 2023. 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=12556&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.