RBI Imposes $100 Million Cap on Banks' Net Open Rupee Positions
The Reserve Bank of India has mandated that banks' net open rupee positions in the onshore deliverable market must not exceed $100 million after market hours, forcing the unwinding of arbitrage trades between NDF and onshore markets with compliance required by April 10.
Key Points
- RBI caps net open rupee positions at $100 million in onshore deliverable market
- Compliance deadline is April 10, 2026
- Banks previously could net exposures across onshore, NDF, and futures markets
- New rule forces unwinding of arbitrage trades between NDF and onshore markets
Full Details
The Reserve Bank of India announced new restrictions on rupee positions that will force banks to unwind arbitrage trades between the non-deliverable forward (NDF) and onshore markets, potentially exposing them to losses. The central bank stated that banks must ensure their net open rupee positions in the onshore deliverable market do not exceed $100 million at the end of each business day, with compliance required by April 10. Until now, banks were allowed to run large arbitrage books without breaching limits because net open position caps were calculated after netting exposures across onshore, NDF, and currency futures markets. The new rule means that even if positions are offset in the NDF market, any onshore exposure exceeding the prescribed limit will have to be pared back. Six traders confirmed this will force significant unwinding of arbitrage positions.
Why It Matters
This regulatory move aims to strengthen rupee stability and reduce speculative currency trading, but may temporarily disrupt market liquidity and expose banks to mark-to-market losses on their arbitrage books.
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