Executive Summary:
This document outlines the framework used by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for dealing with Domestic Systemically Important Banks (DSIBs). It details the assessment methodology for identifying DSIBs, the assignment of these banks into different buckets based on systemic importance scores, and the additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital requirements applicable to them. The framework's higher capital requirements will be applicable from April 1, 2016, in a phased manner, becoming fully effective from April 1, 2019. The names of banks classified as DSIBs will be disclosed every November.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Introduction and Context:**
* Systemically Important Banks (SIBs) are critical for maintaining essential banking services and overall economic stability.
* Additional policy measures are necessary for SIBs to address systemic risks and moral hazard issues.
* The Financial Stability Board (FSB) and Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) have developed frameworks for Global Systemically Important Banks (GSIBs) and DSIBs.
* **RBI's Methodology for Identifying DSIBs:**
* A two-step process will be used: first, select a sample of banks, and second, compute a composite score of systemic importance for each bank in the sample.
* Banks with a size beyond 2% of GDP, based on the Basel III Leverage Ratio Exposure Measure, will be selected in the sample.
* A few large foreign banks will also be included in the sample.
* Assessment is based on indicators: Size, Interconnectedness, Lack of Substitutability, and Complexity.
* Size is the most important indicator and will be assigned more weight (40%) than the others (20% each).
* **Indicators and Sub-indicators:**
* **Size:** Total exposure as defined for use in Basel III Leverage Ratio
* **Interconnectedness:** Intrafinancial system assets, Intrafinancial system liabilities, Securities outstanding
* **Substitutability:** Assets Under Custody, Digital Payments made in INR, Underwritten transactions in debt and equity markets
* **Complexity:** Cross Jurisdictional Liabilities, Securities in Held For Trading and Available for Sale categories
* **DSIB Capital Requirements:**
* Additional CET1 capital requirements will be applied based on a bucket system, ranging from 0.20% to 1.00% of risk-weighted assets.
* An empty bucket at the top (Bucket 5) is included to disincentivize banks from increasing their systemic importance.
* The systemic importance score will be calibrated in such a manner that the Bucket 5 does not have any banks initially.
* **Foreign Banks:**
* Foreign banks with branch presence in India that are GSIBs must maintain additional CET1 capital surcharge in India as applicable to it as GSIB, proportionate to its Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) in India.
* If the foreign bank is a DSIB in India but not a GSIB, it must maintain DSIB additional capital surcharge in India.
* If the foreign bank is both a GSIB and a DSIB in India, it must maintain the higher of the two surcharges.
* Foreign banks operating as Wholly Owned Subsidiaries (WOS) will be treated as domestic banks and will only be required to maintain DSIB capital surcharge if designated as a DSIB in India.
* **Other Regulatory Requirements:**
* RBI will consider implementing additional measures like liquidity surcharges and tighter large exposure restrictions as per international frameworks.
* **Interaction with Basel III and Supervisory Implications:**
* The higher CET1 requirements will be an extension of the capital conservation buffer.
* DSIBs will be subject to more intensive supervision.
* **Implementation and Review:**
* Higher capital requirements will be applicable from April 1, 2016, phased in until fully effective on April 1, 2019.
* The assessment methodology will be reviewed regularly, at least once every three years.
Impact Analysis:
* **Domestic Systemically Important Banks (DSIBs):**
* Impact: Subject to increased regulatory scrutiny, higher capital reserve requirements, and potential restrictions on profit distribution if CET1 requirements are not met.
* Action Required: Prepare to submit data to RBI by August 15th each year, maintain higher CET1 capital, and enhance risk management and corporate governance practices.
* **Foreign Banks Operating in India:**
* Impact: May need to allocate additional capital to their Indian operations, depending on their GSIB/DSIB status.
* Action Required: Assess their classification (GSIB/DSIB) and ensure compliance with the applicable capital surcharge requirements.
* **Reserve Bank of India (RBI):**
* Impact: Responsible for implementing and overseeing the DSIB framework.
* Action Required: Conduct annual assessments of systemic importance, classify banks into appropriate buckets, and monitor compliance with capital requirements.
* **Other Banks in the Sample:**
* Impact: Required to submit data for systemic importance assessment.
* Action Required: Prepare and submit data to RBI by August 15th each year.
Key Entities Referenced
Domestic Systemically Important Banks DSIBs: Banks that are systemically important to the domestic economy, the focus of this policy framework.
Basel III: A set of reform measures to improve the resiliency of banks and banking systems.
Financial Stability Board FSB: An international body that monitors and makes recommendations about the global financial system.
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision BCBS: A committee that sets standards for banking regulation.
Global Systemically Important Banks GSIBs: Banks that are systemically important to the global financial system.
Reserve Bank of India RBI: The central bank of India, responsible for implementing the DSIB framework.
Common Equity Tier 1 CET1: A component of regulatory capital, used to meet additional loss absorbency requirements.
India: The country to which this policy framework applies.
Framework for Dealing with Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs)
(Revised upto December 28, 20231)
Introduction
Some banks, due to their size, cross-jurisdictional activities, complexity, lack of
substitutability and interconnectedness, become systemically important. The
disorderly failure of these banks has the potential to cause significant disruption to the
essential services they provide to the banking system, and in turn, to the overall
economic activity. Therefore, the continued functioning of Systemically Important
Banks (SIBs) is critical for the uninterrupted availability of essential banking services
to the real economy.
Lessons from recent global financial crisis
2. It was observed during the recent global financial crisis that problems faced by
certain large and highly interconnected financial institutions hampered the orderly
functioning of the financial system, which in turn, negatively impacted the real
economy. Government intervention was considered necessary to ensure financial
stability in many jurisdictions. Cost of public sector intervention and consequential
increase in moral hazard required that future regulatory policies should aim at reducing
the probability of failure of SIBs and the impact of the failure of these banks.
3. As a response to the recent crisis, a series of reform measures were unveiled,
broadly known as Basel III, to improve the resiliency of banks and banking systems.
Basel III reform measures include: increase in the quality and quantity of regulatory
capital of the banks, improving risk coverage, introduction of a leverage ratio to serve
as a backstop to the risk-based capital regime, capital conservation buffer and
countercyclical capital buffer as well as a global standard for liquidity risk
management. These policy measures will cover all banks including SIBs. However,
these policy measures are not adequate to deal with risks posed by SIBs. Therefore,
additional policy measures for SIBs are necessary to counter the systemic risks and
moral hazard issues posed by these banks, which other policy reforms do not address
adequately.
1 This document was first published vide Press Release on July 22, 2014 and has been updated only with respect
to the revisions in the methodology and the timelines for the assessment.Additional risks posed by SIBs
4. SIBs are perceived as banks that are ‘Too Big To Fail (TBTF)’. This perception of
TBTF creates an expectation of government support for these banks at the time of
distress. Due to this perception, these banks enjoy certain advantages in the funding
markets. However, the perceived expectation of government support amplifies risk-
taking, reduces market discipline, creates competitive distortions, and increases the
probability of distress in the future. These considerations require that SIBs should be
subjected to additional policy measures to deal with the systemic risks and moral
hazard issues posed by them.
5. In October 20102, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) recommended that all member
countries needed to have in place a framework to reduce risks attributable to
Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs) in their jurisdictions. The FSB
asked the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) to develop an
assessment methodology comprising both quantitative and qualitative indicators to
assess the systemic importance of Global SIFIs (G-SIFIs), along with an assessment
of the extent of going-concern loss absorbency capital which could be provided by
various proposed instruments. In response, BCBS came out with a framework in
November, 2011 (since up-dated in July, 2013) for identifying the Global Systemically
Important Banks (G-SIBs) and the magnitude of additional loss absorbency capital
requirements applicable to these G-SIBs.
6. The BCBS is also considering proposals such as large exposure restrictions and
liquidity measures which are referred to as “other prudential measures” in the FSB
Recommendations and Time Lines. The G20 leaders had asked the BCBS and FSB
in November 2011 to extend the G-SIBs framework to Domestic Systemically
Important Banks (D-SIBs) expeditiously.
Identification of G-SIBs
BCBS methodology for identification of G-SIBs
7. The BCBS has developed a methodology for assessing the systemic importance of
G-SIBs. The methodology is based on an indicator-based measurement approach.
2 http://www.financialstabilityboard.org/publications/r_101111a.pdf
2The indicators capture different aspects that generate negative externalities, and make
a bank systemically important and its survival critical for the stability of the financial
system. The selected indicators are size, global (cross-jurisdictional) activity,
interconnectedness, lack of substitutability or financial institution infrastructure, and
complexity of the G-SIBs. The advantage of the multiple indicator-based measurement
approach is that it encompasses many dimensions of systemic importance, it is
relatively simple and more robust than currently available model-based measurement
approaches and methodologies that rely on only a small set of indicators or market
variables. The methodology gives an equal weight of 20% to each of the five
categories of systemic importance indicators. Except the size category, the BCBS has
identified multiple indicators in each of the other four categories, with each indicator
equally weighted within its category. That is, where there are two indicators in a
category, each indicator is given a weight of 10%; where there are three, the indicators
are each weighted 6.67% (i.e. 20/3). For each bank, the score for a particular indicator
is calculated by dividing the individual bank amount (expressed in EUR) by the
aggregate amount for the indicator summed across all banks in the sample.
8. The indicator-based measurement approach is based on a large sample of banks,
which works as a proxy for the global banking sector. The banks fulfilling any of the
following three criteria are included in the sample:
i) 75 largest global banks (based on the Basel III leverage ratio exposure
measure at the end of the financial year);
ii) Banks that have been designated as G-SIBs in the previous year (unless
supervisors agree that there is a compelling reason to exclude them); and
iii) Banks that have been added to the sample by national supervisors using their
supervisory judgement.
9. The banks with score (produced by the indicator-based measurement approach)
that exceeds a cutoff level set by the BCBS are classified as G-SIBs. Supervisory
judgement may also be used to add banks with scores below the cut-off to the list of
G-SIBs. This judgement will be exercised according to the principles set out by BCBS.
Based on the scores produced using the end-2011 data supplied by the sample banks,
the tentative cutoff point set by the BCBS and use of supervisory judgement, 29 banks
3were classified as G-SIBs in November 2013 by the FSB. The FSB had identified 28
banks as G-SIBs in November 2012.
10. The banks identified as G-SIBs would be plotted in four different buckets
depending upon their systemic importance scores in ascending order and they would
be required to maintain additional capital in the range of 1% to 2.5% of their risk
weighted assets depending upon the order of the buckets. The additional capital
(higher loss absorbency requirement) is to be met with Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1)
capital. An empty bucket at the top (fifth bucket) with a CET1 capital requirement of
3.5% has been provided to take care of banks, in case their systemic importance
scores increase in future beyond the boundary of the fourth bucket. If this bucket gets
populated in the future, a new bucket will be added. The bucketing system provides
disincentive for adding to the systemic importance scores and incentives for banks to
avoid becoming systemically more important. The higher loss absorbency (HLA)
capital requirement would be phased-in parallel with the capital conservation buffer
and countercyclical capital buffer.
11. The implementation of these measures will help reduce the probability and impact
of failure of a SIB on the real economy and will also create a level playing field between
the SIBs and non-SIBs by reducing competitive advantages of SIBs in funding
markets. These policies will thus endeavour to curb amplification of risk taking and
reduce competitive distortions.
BCBS framework for dealing with the D-SIBs
12. The BCBS finalized its framework for dealing with D-SIBs in October 2012. The
DSIB framework focuses on the impact that the distress or failure of banks will have
on the domestic economy. As opposed to G-SIB framework, D-SIB framework is
based on the assessment conducted by the national authorities, who are best placed
to evaluate the impact of failure on the local financial system and the local economy.
D-SIB framework is based on a set of principles, which complement the G-SIB
framework, address negative externalities and promote a level-playing field. The
principles developed by the BCBS for D-SIBs provide national discretion in identifying
D-SIBs and additional loss absorbency requirements applicable to them. A list of
BCBS principles for D-SIBs is given in Appendix 1.
4The methodology to be adopted by RBI to identify D-SIBs
13. The process of assessment of systemic importance of banks will be a two-step
process. In the first step, sample of banks to be assessed for their systemic importance
will be decided. It is felt that systemic importance of all the banks need not be
computed as many smaller banks would be of lower systemic importance and
burdening these banks with onerous data requirements on a regular basis may not be
prudent. Hence, the sample of banks for identification of D-SIBs may exclude many
smaller banks. Once the sample of banks is selected, detailed study to compute their
systemic importance could be initiated. Based on a range of indicators, a composite
score of systemic importance for each bank in the sample will be computed. The banks
having systemic importance above a threshold will be designated as D-SIBs. D-SIBs
would be segregated into different buckets based on their systemic importance scores,
and subject to loss absorbency capital surcharge in a graded manner depending on
the buckets, in which they are placed. A D-SIB in lower bucket will attract lower capital
charge and a D-SIB in higher bucket will attract higher capital charge.
Sample of banks
14. The banks will be selected for computation of systemic importance based on the
analysis of their size (based on Basel III Leverage Ratio Exposure Measure) as a
percentage of GDP. Banks having a size beyond 2% of GDP will be selected in the
sample. For this purpose, latest GDP figure at market prices, released by Central
Statistical Office, Government of India will be used. As foreign banks in India have
smaller balance sheet size, none of them would automatically get selected in the
sample. However, foreign banks are quite active in the derivatives market and the
specialized services provided by these banks might not be easily substituted by
domestic banks. It is, therefore, appropriate to include a few large foreign banks also
in the sample of banks to compute the systemic importance.
Assessment methodology
15. The methodology to be used to assess the systemic importance is largely based
on the indicator-based approach being used by BCBS to identify G-SIBs. The
indicators to be used to assess domestic systemic importance of the banks are as
follows:
5i) Size;
ii) Interconnectedness;
iii) Lack of readily available substitutes or financial institution infrastructure; and
iv) Complexity.
16. The BCBS methodology for identification of G-SIBs gives equal weight for each of
the indicators used to compute systemic importance with a cap assigned to the weight
of substitutability indicator. However, methodology that will be adopted by RBI would
give more weight to the size as it is felt that size is the most important indicator of
systemic importance. Interconnectedness, substitutability and complexity indicators
would be divided further into multiple indicators. Details of the data requirements for
computation of systemic importance scores are given in Appendix 2. A description of
indicators, sub-indicators and their relative weights is as under:
Sl. Indicator Sub-indicator Indicator
No. weight
1 Size (total exposure as defined - 40%
for use in Basel III Leverage
Ratio)
Intra-financial system assets 6.67%
2 Interconnectedness Intra-financial system liabilities 6.67%
Securities outstanding 6.67%
Assets Under Custody 6.67%
Digital Payments made in INR 6.67%
3 Substitutability
Underwritten transactions in 6.67%
debt and equity markets
Notional amount of OTC 6.67%
Derivatives
Cross Jurisdictional Liabilities 6.67%
4 Complexity
Securities in Held For Trading 6.67%
and Available for Sale
categories
Size Indicator
17. The impairment or failure of a bank will more likely damage the domestic economy
if its activities constitute significantly large share of domestic banking activities.
Therefore, there is a greater chance that impairment or failure of a larger bank would
cause greater damage to the financial system and domestic real economy. The
impairment or failure of a bank with large size is also more likely to damage confidence
in the banking system as a whole. Size is a more important measure of systemic
6importance than any other indicators and therefore, size indicator will be assigned
more weight than the other indicators.
18. The size indicator takes into account both on- and off-balance sheet items. In order
to be consistent with the BCBS methodology, size of a bank will be measured by using
the same definition for total exposure measure used for calculation of leverage ratio
of Basel III capital framework. The score for each bank will be calculated as its amount
of total exposure divided by the sum total of exposures of all banks in the sample.
Interconnectedness Indicator
19. Impairment or failure of one bank may have the potential to increase the probability
of impairment or failure of other banks if there is a high degree of interconnectedness
(contractual obligations) with other banks. This chain effect operates on both sides of
the balance sheet. There may be interconnections on the funding side as well as on
the asset side of the balance sheet. The larger the number of linkages and size of
individual exposures, the greater is the potential for the systemic risk getting
magnified.
20. Interconnectedness indicator is divided into three sub-indicators: intra-financial
system assets held by the bank, intra-financial system liabilities of the bank and total
marketable securities issued by the bank. Intra-financial system assets comprise
lending to financial institutions (including undrawn committed lines), holding of
securities issued by other financial institutions, gross positive current exposure of
Securities Financing Transactions and exposure value of those OTC derivatives which
have positive current market value. Intra-financial system liabilities comprise deposits
by other financial institutions (including undrawn committed lines), gross negative
current exposure of Securities Financing Transactions and exposure value of those
OTC derivatives which have negative current market value. The total marketable
securities issued by the bank comprise debt securities, commercial paper, certificate
of deposit and equity issued by the bank. The total marketable securities issued by the
bank with the data on maturity structure of these securities will give an indication of
the reliance of the bank on wholesale funding markets. This may also be one of the
indicators of the interconnectedness.
7Substitutability/financial institution infrastructure indicator
21. The impairment or failure of a bank will inflict greater damage to the financial
system and real economy if certain critical services provided by the bank cannot be
easily substituted by other banks. The greater the role of a bank as a service provider
in underlying market infrastructure, e.g., payment systems, the larger the disruption it
is likely to cause in terms of availability and range of services and infrastructure
liquidity following its failure. Also, the costs to be borne by the customers of a failed
bank to seek the same service at another bank would be much higher if the failed bank
had a greater market share in providing that particular service.
22. The BCBS methodology for G-SIB identification has three sub-indicators for
substitutability indicator: assets under custody; payment activity and total amount of
debt and equity instruments underwritten. The indicators used for this category in our
methodology would be assets under custody, the digital payments made by a bank in
INR and value of underwritten transactions in debt and equity markets over a period
of last one year.
Complexity Indicator
23. Complexity of a bank is also an indicator of systemic importance. The more
complex a bank is, the greater are the costs and time needed to resolve its problems.
Three indicators of complexity have been considered to measure complexity of a bank:
(i) notional amount of over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives; (ii) cross jurisdictional
liabilities; and (iii) trading and available-for-sale securities.
Differences between BCBS methodology for identification of G-SIB and RBI
methodology for identification of D-SIB
24. The major difference between BCBS methodology for G-SIB identification and RBI
methodology for D-SIB identification is as follows:
S. No. Point of difference BCBS G-SIB identification RBI D-SIB identification
methodology methodology
1 Sample of banks 75 largest global banks Banks having size (Basel III
based on financial year end leverage ratio exposure
Basel III leverage ratio measure) as a percentage
exposure measure. National of GDP equal to or more
supervisors have the than 2%. Additionally, five
8S. No. Point of difference BCBS G-SIB identification RBI D-SIB identification
methodology methodology
discretion to add any bank in largest foreign banks, based
the sample apart from 75 on their size, will also be
largest banks. added in the sample.
2 Indicators Five broad indicators: Four broad indicators as
1. Cross jurisdictional mentioned in BCBS’s
activity framework for D-SIBs will be
2. Size used:
3. Interconnectedness 1. Size
4. Substitutability and 2. Interconnectedness
5. Complexity 3. Substitutability and
4. Complexity
3 Indicator weights All indicators given equal Size will be given a weight of
weight with a cap to 40% and other three
substitutability category indicators will be given a
weight. weight of 20% each
4 Sub-indicators Three sub-indicators for Level 3 assets for
Complexity indicator: complexity indicator
1. Notional amount of OTC dropped and instead cross
derivatives jurisdictional liabilities
2. Level 3 assets and added.
3. Trading and Available For
Sales Securities
The role of regulatory/supervisory judgements
25. The multiple indicator-based approach discussed above provides a general
structure for assessment of systemic significance of banks. However, it is not a precise
quantitative instrument and the final decision for designating a bank as D-SIB will also
factor qualitative regulatory and supervisory judgements.
Annual Assessment
26. The computation of systemic importance scores, based on the end-March data of
all the banks in the sample, will be performed annually in the months of August-
October, and names of the banks classified as D-SIBs will be disclosed in the month
of November every year. Accordingly, banks will be required to be in readiness to
submit the required data to RBI by August 15 of each year.
Allocation of banks into buckets
27. Based on the data received from banks in the sample on the above indicators,
systemic importance score will be calculated. For each bank, the score for a particular
indicator will be calculated by dividing the individual bank amount by the aggregate
9amount for the indicator summed across all banks in the sample. The score for each
category will be multiplied by 1000 in order to express the indicator scores in basis
points. Overall systemic importance of a bank will be computed as weighted average
scores of all indicators. Thus, the systemic importance score of a bank would
represent its relative importance with respect to the other banks in the sample. Banks
that have scores above a threshold score will be classified as D-SIBs. However, the
process of classification of a bank as D-SIB will also be guided by qualitative analysis
and regulatory/supervisory insights about different banks. Banks will be allocated to
different buckets based on their systemic importance score.
Higher Capital Requirements for D-SIBs
28. The quantum of additional capital requirements for D-SIBs has been based on a
mix of quantitative calibration exercise and consideration of country-specific factors.
The quantitative calibration exercise was based on two approaches. The first approach
for calibration was the Expected Impact (EI) approach. The rationale behind EI
approach is that the calibration of systemic risk capital surcharge should ensure that
the expected loss to the financial system, consequent upon the failure of a SIB, equals
the expected loss from the failure of a non-SIB. The expected loss is defined as the
multiplication of the probability of default (PD) by Loss Given Default (LGD). As the
failure of a SIB will have larger impact (higher LGD) on the financial system than a
non-SIB (lower LGD), the PD of a SIB needs to be sufficiently lower than a non-SIB,
so that the expected loss of failure of a SIB and non-SIB is equalised. This approach
suggests that in the case of our banking system, the PD of the D-SIB with the highest
systemic importance score should be reduced by imposing an additional CET1 of
0.88% of its risk weighted assets, so that the EI of failure of this bank is comparable
to a reference non-SIB.
29. The other approach used for the calibration is Return on Risk Weighted Assets
(RORWA) approach. This approach defines risk in banking in terms of earnings
volatility. Earnings volatility creates the potential for loss. Losses, in turn, need to be
funded, and it is the potential for loss that imposes a need for banks to hold capital.
The link between earnings volatility and capital is central to this approach. This
approach thus measures risk in terms of economic capital – the amount of capital
needed to protect against earnings volatility at a prescribed confidence interval. This
10approach defines earnings as mean adjusted RORWA. The historical distribution of
bank earnings is then used to estimate how much additional capital is needed to
absorb extreme negative realisations and avoid failure. This approach suggests that
in case of our banking system, the D-SIB with the highest systemic importance score
should have additional CET1 of 2% of risk weighted assets compared to a reference
non-SIB.
30. The calibration of additional CET1 requirements for D-SIBs was also contingent
on the country-specific factors which should form the basis for exercise of supervisory
judgement. A mechanical reliance on output of models was sought to be avoided due
to possibility of significant model risk involved. Supervisory judgement was based on
two country specific factors - degree of concentration in the banking sector and size
of banking sector relative to GDP. Degree of concentration in the banking sector was
measured by computing Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). HHI of Indian banking
sector using square of on-balance sheet market share of all banks in the system is
518.53. A HHI score of 1000 or less shows an un-concentrated banking system. HHI
score of India indicates that the banking system in India is not concentrated. Size of
banking sector compared to the size of economy was assessed with respect to
domestic credit provided by the banking system as a percentage of GDP. Compared
to other major countries, this percentage is on the lower side.
31. Based on a mix of quantitative analysis and country-specific factors as above, and
as per the supervisory judgement of RBI, a bank with highest systemic importance
score should be required to have 0.8% of its risk weighted assets as additional capital
charge in the form of CET1 capital. Other buckets have been calibrated accordingly.
A table showing the additional CET1 capital requirement for D-SIBs is presented
below:
Additional CET1 requirement (as a
Bucket percentage of risk weighted
assets)
5 (Empty) 1.00%
4 0.80%
3 0.60%
2 0.40%
1 0.20%
1132. The additional CET1 requirements will be applicable at the level of both solo as
well as consolidated level of the D-SIB, in line with extant capital adequacy provisions.
33. The systemic importance score will be calibrated in such a manner that the bucket
5 does not have any banks initially. An empty bucket with higher CET1 requirement
will incentivize D-SIBs with higher scores not to increase their systemic importance in
future. In the event of the fifth bucket getting populated, an additional empty (sixth)
bucket would be added with same range and same differential additional CET1.
34. Presently, foreign banks operating in India as branches maintain capital in their
Indian books as mandated by RBI. Similarly, foreign banks as Wholly Owned
Subsidiaries (WOS) of their parent bank will maintain capital in the local subsidiary as
mandated by RBI. The maintenance of additional CET1 by a foreign bank in India
whether as a branch or a WOS, and as a G-SIB or D-SIB, will be guided by following
rules:
i. In case a foreign bank having branch presence in India is a G-SIB, it has to
maintain additional CET1 capital surcharge in India as applicable to it as G-SIB,
proportionate to its Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) in India. Additional CET1
requirement for such banks in India may be computed as additional CET1 buffer
prescribed by the home regulator multiplied by (India RWA as per consolidated
global Group books/Total consolidated global Group RWA). Additional CET1
may be phased in India in accordance with the phase-in prescribed by the home
regulator.
ii. In case a foreign bank having branch presence in India is not a G-SIB, but a
DSIB in India, it has to maintain D-SIB additional capital surcharge in India.
iii. In case a foreign bank having branch presence in India is both a G-SIB and a
DSIB in India, it has to maintain capital surcharge in India, at a rate which is
higher of the two (G-SIB additional CET1 surcharge or D-SIB additional CET1
surcharge).
iv. In case of a foreign bank having presence in India as a WOS of its parent bank
which is a G-SIB, it will not be required to maintain G-SIB capital surcharge in
India as it will have the status of a domestic bank. However, if the WOS is
designated as a D-SIB in India, it will be required to maintain D-SIB capital
surcharge in India.
12Other regulatory requirements applicable to D-SIBs
35. One of the recommendations of the FSB in their October 2010 paper3 was that
further regulatory measures including liquidity surcharges, tighter large exposure
restrictions, etc. may also be effective in dealing with SIBs. RBI will consider
implementing these measures for D-SIBs as and when international frameworks on
these aspects are agreed to by BCBS. The implementation of these additional
measures will depend on the internationally agreed timeline.
Interaction with the other elements of Basel III framework
Group treatment
36. For domestic banks, the computation of systemic importance scores will be done
based on the data that relates to global consolidated balance sheet. For the purpose
of consolidation, the provisions of regulatory consolidation will be used as required in
the circular DBOD.No.BP.BC.72/21.04.018/2001-02 dated February 25, 2003.
However, for foreign banks, the computation of systemic importance will be done on
the basis of data that relates to local consolidated balance sheet.4
Interaction with the capital conservation buffer
37. The higher CET1 requirements will be made applicable as an extension of capital
conservation buffer. If a D-SIB is not able to meet the additional CET1 requirement, it
will be subjected to restrictions on distribution of profits and other restrictions as
applicable under the Basel III framework. For example, after the full implementation of
D-SIB framework, a D-SIB falling in bucket 1 will be required to maintain a CET1
capital of 8.2% of RWAs if it does not want to have any restrictions on it with regard to
dividend / capital distribution applicable under the capital buffer regime.
Interaction with Pillar 2 requirements
38. To the extent a D-SIB has incorporated its systemic importance in its Internal
Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP); it will not be required to hold capital
twice for the same risk during the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process
3 http://www.financialstabilityboard.org/publications/r_101111a.pdf
4 Para 16B(ii) of circular DBOD.No.FSD.BC.46/24.01.028/2006-07 dated December 12, 2006.
13(SREP). However, additional capital by D-SIBs would not be counted towards non-
systemic risks (for example, Interest Rate Risk in Banking Book, Credit Concentration
Risk, etc.), which are normally captured under Pillar 2.
Supervisory Implications
39. One of the recommendations of the FSB in their October 2011 paper was that all
national supervisory authorities should have the power to apply differentiated
supervisory requirements and intensity of supervision to SIFIs based on the risks they
pose to the financial system. The banks designated as D-SIBs will be subjected to
more intensive supervision in the form of higher frequency and higher intensity of on-
and offsite monitoring. It is also important that these banks should adopt sound
corporate governance of risk and risk management culture.
Effective date of implementation
40. The higher capital requirements applicable to D-SIBs will be applicable from April
1, 2016 in a phased manner and would become fully effective from April 1, 2019. The
phasing-in of additional common equity requirement will be as follows:
Bucket April 1, 2016 April 1, 2017 April 1, 2018 April 1, 2019
5 (Empty)
4 0.20% 0.40% 0.60% 0.80%
3 0.15% 0.30% 0.45% 0.60%
2 0.10% 0.20% 0.30% 0.40%
1 0.05% 0.10% 0.15% 0.20%
Disclosures
41. The names of the banks classified as D-SIBs will be disclosed in the month of
November every year.
Review of the Assessment Methodology
42. The assessment methodology for assessing the systemic importance of banks and
identifying D-SIBs will be reviewed on a regular basis. However, this review will be at
least once in three years. The review will take into consideration the functioning of the
framework during the last three years, theoretical developments internationally in the
14field of systemic risk measurement and the experience of other countries in
implementing the D-SIB framework and the methodology adopted by them.
15Appendix 1
BCBS Principles for dealing with Domestic Systemically Important Banks
(DSIBs)
Assessment methodology
Principle 1: National authorities should establish a methodology for assessing the
degree to which banks are systemically important in a domestic context.
Principle 2: The assessment methodology for a D-SIB should reflect the potential
impact of, or externality imposed by, a bank’s failure.
Principle 3: The reference system for assessing the impact of failure of a D-SIB
should be the domestic economy.
Principle 4: Home authorities should assess banks for their degree of systemic
importance at the consolidated group level, while host authorities should assess
subsidiaries in their jurisdictions, consolidated to include any of their own downstream
subsidiaries, for their degree of systemic importance.
Principle 5: The impact of a D-SIB’s failure on the domestic economy should, in
principle, be assessed having regard to bank-specific factors:
(a) Size;
(b) Interconnectedness;
(c) Substitutability/financial institution infrastructure (including considerations related
to the concentrated nature of the banking sector); and
(d) Complexity (including the additional complexities from cross-border activity).
In addition, national authorities can consider other measures/data that would inform
these bank-specific indicators within each of the above factors, such as size of the
domestic economy.
Principle 6: National authorities should undertake regular assessments of the
systemic importance of the banks in their jurisdictions to ensure that their assessment
reflects the current state of the relevant financial systems and that the interval between
D-SIB assessments not be significantly longer than the G-SIB assessment frequency.
16Principle 7: National authorities should publicly disclose information that provides an
outline of the methodology employed to assess the systemic importance of banks in
their domestic economy.
Higher loss absorbency
Principle 8: National authorities should document the methodologies and
considerations used to calibrate the level of HLA that the framework would require for
D-SIBs in their jurisdiction. The level of HLA calibrated for D-SIBs should be informed
by quantitative methodologies (where available) and country-specific factors without
prejudice to the use of supervisory judgement.
Principle 9: The HLA requirement imposed on a bank should be commensurate with
the degree of systemic importance, as identified under Principle 5.
Principle 10: National authorities should ensure that the application of the G-SIB and
D-SIB frameworks is compatible within their jurisdictions. Home authorities should
impose HLA requirements that they calibrate at the parent and/or consolidated level,
and host authorities should impose HLA requirements that they calibrate at the sub-
consolidated/ subsidiary level. The home authority should test that the parent bank is
adequately capitalised on a stand-alone basis, including cases in which a D-SIB HLA
requirement is applied at the subsidiary level. Home authorities should impose the
higher of either the D-SIB or G-SIB HLA requirements in the case where the banking
group has been identified as a D-SIB in the home jurisdiction as well as a G-SIB.
Principle 11: In cases where the subsidiary of a bank is considered to be a D-SIB by
a host authority, home and host authorities should make arrangements to coordinate
and cooperate on the appropriate HLA requirement, within the constraints imposed by
relevant laws in the host jurisdiction.
Principle 12: The HLA requirement should be met fully by Common Equity Tier 1
(CET1). In addition, national authorities should put in place any additional
requirements and other policy measures they consider to be appropriate to address
the risks posed by a D-SIB.
17Appendix 2
Data Requirements for computing the systemic importance score
A. Size
On-Balance sheet and Off-balance sheet size (same as exposure measure used for
computing the Basel III leverage ratio)
B. Interconnectedness
Intra-Financial System Assets
i. Lending to financial institutions (including undrawn committed lines)
a. All funds deposited with other financial institutions
b. Undrawn committed lines extended to other financial institutions
ii. Holding of securities issued by other financial institutions
a. Debt Securities
b. Commercial Paper
c. Certificate of Deposit
d. Equity holdings
iii. Gross Positive current exposure of Securities Financing Transactions (SFTs)
iv. OTC derivatives with financial institutions
a. Gross Positive Fair Value
b. Potential Future Exposure
c. Fair Value of Collateral that is held with other financial institutions
Intra-Financial System Liabilities
i. Deposits by financial institutions (including undrawn committed lines)
a. All funds deposited by banks
b. All funds deposited by non-bank financial institutions
c. Undrawn committed lines obtained from other financial institutions
ii. Gross Negative current exposure of SFTs
iii. OTC derivatives with financial institutions
a. Gross Negative Fair Value
b. Potential Future Exposure
18c. Fair Value of collateral that is provided by other financial institutions
Note: For SFTs and OTC derivatives reported within Intra-Financial Assets and
Intra-Financial Liabilities, where effective bilateral netting contracts as specified
in the Basel III Capital Adequacy guidelines5 are in place, banks may report
such transactions on a net basis.
Total Marketable Securities issued by the bank* (segregated for residual maturity less
than one year and more)
i. Debt Securities
ii. Commercial Paper
iii. Certificate of Deposit
iv. Equity
* The value of securities reported under this head shall be based on their market
value.
C. Substitutability
i. Assets under Custody
ii. Digital Payments made in INR (75 per cent weightage to value of transactions
and 25 per cent weightage to volume of transactions)
iii. Value of underwritten transactions in the debt and equity markets
D. Complexity
i. OTC Derivatives notional value segregated based on cleared through CCP and
bilaterally cleared
ii. Value of securities held for trading and available for sale*
iii. Cross jurisdictional liabilities
* The subset of securities held in these categories that meet the definition of Level
1 and Level 2 assets (with applicable haircuts), as defined in the Basel III liquidity
coverage ratio (LCR) guidelines6, shall be deducted.
5 RBI Master Circular DOR.CAP.REC.15/21.06.201/2023-24 dated May 12, 2023 titled ‘Basel III Capital
Regulations’ as amended from time to time.
6 RBI Circular DBOD.BP.BC.No.120/21.04.098/2013-14 dated June 9, 2014 titled ‘Basel III Framework on Liquidity
Standards – Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR), Liquidity Risk Monitoring Tools and LCR Disclosure Standards’ as
amended from time to time.
19Note: For the purpose of data collection, all banks in the sample will be supplied an
excel sheet and a guidance note which would describe in detail the data requirements
and the manner of reporting of data.
20