**Executive Summary**
This document, issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on December 4, 2025, pertains to the amendment of the "Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks - Concentration Risk Management) Directions, 2025." The amendment modifies the directions relating to the Role of the Board and repeals Chapter III in its entirety. The new directions come into effect on January 1, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Modifications in Chapter II – Role of the Board**
* Paragraph 6 is partially modified with an insertion requiring banks to have policies on Concentration Risk Management of exposures to single counterparties, interconnected groups, specific sectors, and ultra-large borrowers.
* Banks must monitor and address risks from exposures to excessively leveraged ultra-large borrowers with substantial borrowings from the banking system.
* Banks can define their own criteria for identifying ultra-large borrowers but must consider their overall borrowings from the banking system for credit assessment.
* **Repeal of Chapter III – Enhancing Credit Supply for Large Borrowers through Market Mechanism**
* Instructions contained in Chapter III stand repealed in their entirety.
* **Effective Date**
* The amendment shall come into force from January 1, 2026.
* Banks may implement the amendment at 3(1) earlier.
* **Related Amendments**
* Amendments to directions related to Income Recognition, Asset Classification and Provisioning, and Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy have been separately issued.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Small Finance Banks**
* **Impact:** The directions affect the concentration risk management policies that Small Finance Banks must adopt.
* **Action Required:** Small Finance Banks must update their policies and practices to comply with the modified directions, effective January 1, 2026 and consider implementing changes earlier.
Key Entities Referenced
Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks - Concentration Risk Management) Directions, 2025: Original RBI Directions regarding concentration risk management in Small Finance Banks
Banking Regulation Act, 1949: The act that provides the legal framework for the regulation of banking companies in India, specifically sections 21 and 35A
Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks - Concentration Risk Management) Amendment Directions, 2025: Amendment to the Directions regarding concentration risk management in Small Finance Banks
Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks – Income Recognition, Asset Classification and Provisioning) Amendment Directions, 2025: Amendment directions on income recognition, asset classification and provisioning for Small Finance Banks
Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks – Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy) Amendment Directions, 2025: Amendment directions on prudential norms on capital adequacy for Small Finance Banks
भारतीय �रज़वर् बैंक
_________________________ RESERVE BANK OF INDIA ______________________
www.rbi.org.in
RBI/2025-26/127
DOR.CRE.REC.337/07-03-002/2025-26 December 4, 2025
Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks - Concentration Risk Management)
Amendment Directions, 2025
Please refer to Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks - Concentration Risk
Management) Directions, 2025 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Directions’).
2. On a review, in exercise of the powers conferred by the sections 21 and 35A of the
Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and all other laws enabling the Reserve Bank in this
regard, the Reserve Bank being satisfied that it is necessary and expedient in the
public interest so to do, hereby issues the Amendment Directions hereinafter
specified.
3. The Amendment Directions modifies the Directions as under:
(1) Modifications in Chapter II – Role of the Board
Paragraph 6 shall be partially modified, with the following insertion at the beginning
of the paragraph:
“Banks shall have policies on Concentration Risk Management of their exposures
towards a single counterparty, groups of interconnected counterparties, specific
sectors of the economy as also systems to monitor and address the risks
emanating to them from their exposures to ultra-large borrowers who are
excessively leveraged and have substantial borrowings from the banking system.
While banks can have their own criteria for deciding an ultra-large borrower, they
shall take into account inter alia the overall borrowings of such entities from the
banking system for credit assessment of such borrowers.”
िविनयमन िवभाग, केंद्रीय कायार्लय, केंद्रीय कायार्लय भवन, 12वी/ं 13वी ंमंिज़ल, शहीद भगत िसंह मागर्, फोटर्, मुंबई - 400001
टेलीफोन/ Tel No: 22661602, 22601000 फै�/ Fax No: 022-2270 5691
Department of Regulation, Central Office, Central Office Building, 12th/ 13th Floor, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Fort, Mumbai – 400001
�हदं ी आसान ह,� इसका �योग बड़ाइए(2) Repeal of Chapter III - Enhancing Credit Supply for Large Borrowers
through Market Mechanism
Instructions contained in this Chapter shall stand repealed.
4. The above amendment shall come into force from January 1, 2026. Banks may
however decide to implement the amendment at 3(1) above in entirety from an earlier
date.
5. Consequent to amendment(s) in terms of paragraph 3(5) above, other amendment
directions viz., Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks – Income Recognition,
Asset Classification and Provisioning) Amendment Directions, 2025 and the Reserve
Bank of India (Small Finance Banks – Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy)
Amendment Directions, 2025 have been separately issued.
(Vaibhav Chaturvedi)
Chief General Manager
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