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India bank deposits — demand vs time deposits & CASA

Q: What is the difference between demand and time deposits?

Demand deposits can be withdrawn on demand without notice - mainly current-account and the chequable part of savings balances - and earn little or no interest. Time deposits (also called term or fixed deposits) are locked in for a fixed maturity and pay higher interest. In India, time deposits make up the bulk of bank deposits - of the order of 89% - while demand deposits are about 11%.

Q: What is the CASA ratio?

CASA stands for Current Account and Savings Account. The CASA ratio is the share of a bank's deposits held in these low-cost current and savings accounts rather than in higher-cost fixed deposits. At the system level India's CASA ratio is roughly 40%. A higher CASA ratio lowers a bank's cost of funds and supports its net interest margin. Note that CASA is a different cut from the demand/time classification, because savings balances are split across both.

Q: Why does the deposit mix matter for banks?

The mix of deposits drives a bank's cost of funds. Low-cost CASA and demand deposits are cheap funding, while time deposits are more expensive but stickier. A bank with a high CASA ratio can lend at better margins; when depositors shift from CASA to term deposits - as they do when interest rates rise - banks' funding costs go up and margins compress.

Quick answerIndia’s scheduled commercial banks hold of the order of Rs 225 lakh crore in aggregate deposits. By type, time (fixed) deposits are about 89% and demand deposits about 11%. Cutting the data a different way, the system CASA ratio (current + savings) is roughly 40% — the low-cost funding that supports bank margins. These are approximate recent shares; see the RBI WSS for exact figures.

The chart above is a visual summary; the table below carries the same figures so they are readable without JavaScript — for accessibility and AI answer engines.

Approximate composition of SCB aggregate deposits (recent)

Deposit type	Share of deposits
Time deposits	89%
Demand deposits	11%
Memo: CASA ratio (current + savings)	~40%

Approximate recent shares based on RBI WSS/DBIE aggregate-deposit data; figures are rounded and the exact, latest split is published fortnightly by the RBI. CASA is a separate cut and does not add to the demand/time split.

What it means for bankers

Deposits are the raw material of banking, and their composition sets the floor on a bank’s cost of funds. The dominance of time deposits means most funding is rate-sensitive and reprices as the repo rate moves, while the CASA base is the cheap, sticky core that protects net interest margins. Aggregate deposits feed straight into credit & deposit growth and the credit-deposit ratio, and the split across bank groups shows who is winning the deposit race. Deposit money is also the largest component of broad money (M3), so this dashboard links the micro of bank funding to the macro of money supply.

Key terms in this dataPlain-English definitions of the terms behind this dashboard — see the full Indian banking glossary. CASA · Time deposit · Demand deposit

More live dataExplore BankPulse’s other live RBI dashboards: Deposits & Credit by Bank Group · Credit & Deposit Growth · Money Supply · Currency in Circulation.

Bank deposits & CASA FAQ

What is the difference between demand and time deposits?

Demand deposits can be withdrawn on demand - mainly current accounts and the chequable part of savings - and earn little or no interest. Time deposits (term/fixed deposits) are locked for a fixed maturity and pay higher interest. In India, time deposits are the bulk of deposits - around 89% - and demand deposits about 11%.

What is the CASA ratio?

CASA is Current Account and Savings Account. The CASA ratio is the share of deposits held in these low-cost accounts rather than fixed deposits. India's system CASA ratio is roughly 40%. A higher CASA ratio lowers a bank's cost of funds and supports margins. CASA is a different cut from demand/time, since savings balances span both.

How large are India's total bank deposits?

Aggregate deposits of scheduled commercial banks are of the order of Rs 225 lakh crore (approximate recent level). Deposits grow broadly with nominal income and money supply; the exact latest figure is in the RBI's fortnightly Weekly Statistical Supplement.

Why does the deposit mix matter for banks?

The mix drives a bank's cost of funds. Low-cost CASA is cheap funding; time deposits are costlier but stickier. A high CASA ratio lets a bank lend at better margins. When depositors shift from CASA to term deposits - as in a rising-rate cycle - funding costs rise and margins compress.

Methodology & sources: see how BankPulse dashboards are sourced, verified & updated · machine-readable deposits JSON feed.

Last reviewed 19 Jun 2026 by Vikram Jain

Source: RBI Weekly Statistical Supplement (WSS) / Database on the Indian Economy (DBIE), aggregate deposits of scheduled commercial banks, rbi.org.in. Shares are approximate recent values and are rounded; for exact, latest figures see the RBI WSS. We never reproduce RBI text verbatim. Reviewed by Vikram Jain. Last updated 19 Jun 2026, 02:49 IST.