Skip to main content

Which Small Finance Banks can obtain AD Category-I license?

Small Finance Banks (SFBs) which could act as Authorised Dealer Category-II banks for providing forex related services to their customers, can now apply for license to function as Authorised Dealer Category-I banks.

What are different categories of Authorise Dealers (ADs)?

Authorised Dealer (AD) Category-I – entities which are authorised by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to carry out all permissible current and capital account transactions.

Authorised Dealer (AD) Category-II – entities which are authorised by RBI to carry out specified non-trade related current account transactions, all the activities permitted to Full Fledged Money Changers (FFMC) and any other activity as decided by RBI, and include (i) Upgraded FFMCs; (ii) Select Regional Rural Banks (RRBs); (iii) Select Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs); and (iv) Other entities.

Authorised Dealer (AD) Category-III – entities which are authorised by RBI to carry out specific foreign exchange transactions incidental to their business / activities.

Full Fledged Money Changer (FFMC) – a money changer authorised to purchase foreign exchange from non-residents visiting India and residents, and to sell foreign exchange for private and business travel purposes only.

Which small finance banks can apply for Authorised Dealer Category-I license?

Small Finance Banks meeting the following eligibility norms can apply for Authorised Dealer Category-I license –

  1. The bank should have completed at least 2 years of operations as Authorised Dealer Category-II.
  2. The bank should have been included in the Second Schedule to Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
  3. It should have a minimum net worth of ₹500 crore.
  4. Its CRAR should not be less than 15%.
  5. The net NPAs of the bank should not exceed 6%, during previous four quarters.
  6. It should have made profit in the preceding 2 years.
  7. It should not have defaulted in maintenance of CRR / SLR during previous 2 years.
  8. It should have sound internal control systems.
  9. It should not have any major regulatory and supervisory concerns.


References

Reserve Bank of India. (2016, January 01). 'Master Direction - Money Changing Activities (Updated as on March 4, 2022)'. Retrieved from https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_ViewMasDirections.aspx?id=11518

Reserve Bank of India. (2022, August 08). 'Authorised Dealer Category-I License eligibility for Small Finance Banks'. Retrieved from https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12373&Mode=0


Follow at - Telegram   Instagram   LinkedIn   Twitter

Comments

Popular Posts

Highlights of RBI Annual Report 2023-24 – Chapter 7 to 12

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has published its annual report for the financial year 2023-24. In a series of articles, we will go through the highlights of the report. This is the fifth and last article in the series.  Chapter 7 – Public Debt Management Ways And Means Advances (WMA) limit for the Government of India (GoI) for H1:2023-24 (April to September 2023) was fixed at ₹1,50,000 crore and for H2:2023-24 (October 2023 to March 2024) was fixed at ₹50,000 crore. RBI issued an ultra-long security of 50-year tenor aggregating ₹30,000 crore to cater to the growing needs of long-term institutional players. Issuance of Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) for an aggregate amount of ₹20,000 crore included maiden issuance of 30-year (₹10,000 crore) SGrB in addition to 5-year (₹5,000 crore) and 10-year (₹5,000 crore) SGrBs. A new 3-year benchmark security was introduced as part of government market borrowing programme during H1:2023-24.  The basket of products offered through the ‘Retail ...

Lending against Gold and Silver collateral

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued directions on lending against the collateral of gold and silver. To whom are the directions applicable? The directions are applicable to the following regulated entities (REs) – Commercial Banks (including Small Finance Banks, Local Area Banks and Regional Rural Banks, but excluding Payments Banks). Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs) & Rural Co-operative Banks (RCBs), i.e., State Co-operative Banks (StCBs) and Central Co-operative Banks (CCBs). Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs). Which loans are covered under the directions? The directions shall apply to all loans offered by an RE for the purpose of consumption or income generation (including farm credit) where eligible gold or silver collateral is accepted as a collateral security. What is eligible collateral? Eligible collateral means the collateral of jewellery, ornaments or coins made of gold or silver. A lender shall not grant any ad...

Pre-payment Charges on Loans

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued directions on pre-payment charges on loans. What issues were observed by RBI during supervisory reviews? Divergent practices were observed amongst Regulated Entities (REs) with regard to levy of pre-payment charges in case of loans sanctioned to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) which lead to customer grievances and disputes.  Certain REs were found to include restrictive clauses in loan contracts / agreements to deter borrowers from switching over to another lender, either for availing lower rates of interest or better terms of service. To whom shall the directions be applicable? The directions shall apply to all commercial banks (excluding payments banks), co-operative banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs). To which loans shall the direction be applicable? The directions shall be applicable to all floating rate loans and advances sanctioned or renewed on or after January 01, 2026. Which ...

Due Diligence of AePS Touchpoint Operators

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued directions on due diligence of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) touchpoint operators. What is Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS)? Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) is a payment system in which transactions are enabled through Aadhaar number and biometrics / OTP authentication providing financial services such as cash withdrawal, cash deposit, fund transfer, and non-financial services such as mini statement and balance enquiry, etc. AePS is a payment system operated by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) that facilitates interoperable transactions using Aadhaar enabled authentication.  What is AePS touchpoint? AePS touchpoint is the terminal deployed by acquirer banks to facilitate AePS transactions, which shall include both mobile and fixed points. Who is AePS Touchpoint Operator (ATO)? AePS Touchpoint Operator (ATO) is the individual onboarded by the acquiring bank who operates the AePS touchpoint. What is the rationale b...

Priority Sector Lending (PSL) guidelines

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued the revised guidelines on Priority Sector Lending (PSL) which has come into effect from April 01, 2025.  To whom does Priority Sector Lending (PSL) guidelines apply? Priority Sector Lending (PSL) guidelines apply to – Commercial Bank [including Regional Rural Bank (RRB), Small Finance Bank (SFB), Local Area Bank (LAB)] Primary (Urban) Co-operative Bank (UCB) other than Salary Earners’ Bank  What are the categories under PSL? The categories under priority sector are as follows – Agriculture Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Export Credit Education Housing Social Infrastructure Renewable Energy Others What are the PSL targets for banks? The targets and sub-targets set under PSL, to be computed on the basis of the Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) / Credit Equivalent of Off-Balance Sheet Exposures (CEOBE) as applicable as on the corresponding date of the preceding year are as below – Categories Total Priority Sector A...