RBI Update - Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks – Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy) Sixth Amendment Directions, 2026

The Reserve Bank of India, through the Reserve Bank of India (Small Finance Banks – Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy) Sixth Amendment Directions, 2026, has amended the Capital Adequacy Directions, 2025, to provide regulatory capital relief for exposures covered under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0. A new Paragraph 25A has been inserted, stipulating that exposures guaranteed under ECLGS 5.0 shall attract a zero percent risk weight to the extent of 75% of the guaranteed portion, representing the portion of the guarantee where the settlement amount is expected to be received within thirty days from the date of invocation. The remaining exposure shall continue to attract risk weights in accordance with the existing prudential norms. Issued under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, the amendment aligns the capital adequacy framework applicable to Small Finance Banks with the Government-backed ECLGS 5.0 scheme and has come into force with immediate effect.