Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2025-26/170 · issued 01 Jan 2026 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI has moved MTSS Business (R103) monthly return filing to the new CIMS portal from December 2025. Admin users must create login credentials for submitters. Returns are due by the 7th of the following month; non-compliance invites penal action.
The rule, in the simplest words
Starting December 2025, you must file the MTSS Business (R103) return on the new CIMS portal (a central online system for sending reports to RBI).
The admin user (the person who manages accounts) in your company must create login IDs and passwords for the people who will actually submit the return.
The return for each month is due by the 7th of the next month (for example, December 2025's return is due by January 7, 2026).
If you file late or don't file at all, RBI can take penal action (fine or punishment) under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
How it plays out — a real example
Ravi, a compliance officer at a money-transfer company in Mumbai, logs into the new CIMS portal for the first time. He asks his admin user to create a submitter account for him, then files the December 2025 MTSS Business return by January 7, 2026, avoiding any penalties.
What changed
RBI has shifted the reporting of the MTSS Business return (R103) from the old system to the new Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) portal. This change applies for the reporting period starting December 2025 onwards. Admin users for each entity have already been created in CIMS, and they must now set up login credentials for the actual return submitters.
What it means for you
MTSS Overseas Principals must register on CIMS and ensure their reporting teams have access before the December 2025 return deadline of January 7, 2026. The move to CIMS is part of RBI's broader data warehousing upgrade, likely to improve data consistency and monitoring. Late or non-filing will attract penal action under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
What you must do
Ensure your entity's Admin User in CIMS creates login credentials for the return submitter immediately.
Submit the MTSS Business (R103) return for December 2025 on the CIMS portal by January 7, 2026.
Verify that all future monthly returns are filed by the 7th of the succeeding month to avoid penalties.
Train your reporting team on CIMS navigation and submission guidelines before the first deadline.
Who it affects
All MTSS Overseas Principals, Admin Users of reporting entities in CIMS, Compliance and reporting teams handling MTSS returns
❓ Common questions
What is the new return code and frequency for MTSS Business reporting?
The return is named MTSS Business with code R103, and it must be filed monthly.
When is the first return due on CIMS?
The first return is for December 2025, and it must be submitted by January 7, 2026.
Who is responsible for creating login credentials in CIMS?
The Admin User of each reporting entity must create login credentials for the users who will submit the return.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2025-26/170
CO.DPSS.ODD.No.S1072/06-08-024/2025-2026
January 01, 2026
To
All MTSS Overseas Principals
Madam / Dear Sir,
Returns – Department of Payment and Settlement Systems – Submission in CIMS
Following the launch of the next generation datawarehouse of the Reserve Bank of India i.e. Centralised Information Management System (CIMS), it has now been decided to commence the reporting of the following return in CIMS:
Sr. No.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2025-26/170 · issued 01 Jan 2026. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Submit the MTSS Business (R103) return for December 2025 on the CIMS portal by January 7, 2026.
📜 Compliance
Ensure your entity's Admin User in CIMS creates login credentials for the return submitter immediately.
Verify that all future monthly returns are filed by the 7th of the succeeding month to avoid penalties.
Train your reporting team on CIMS navigation and submission guidelines before the first deadline.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All MTSS Overseas Principals, Admin Users of reporting entities in CIMS, Compliance and reporting teams handling MTSS returns), your first concrete step on “MTSS Business Returns Now on CIMS Portal” is: “Ensure your entity's Admin User in CIMS creates login credentials for the return submitter immediately.” (RBI issued this 01 Jan 2026).
Circular: RBI/2025-26/170 -- MTSS Business Returns Now on CIMS Portal
Issued: 01 Jan 2026
Action required: Ensure your entity's Admin User in CIMS creates login credentials for the return submitter immediately.
Action required: Submit the MTSS Business (R103) return for December 2025 on the CIMS portal by January 7, 2026.
Action required: Verify that all future monthly returns are filed by the 7th of the succeeding month to avoid penalties.
Action required: Train your reporting team on CIMS navigation and submission guidelines before the first deadline.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
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.
💬 Banker Discussion
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=13246&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.