Topic
plastic notes
Finance India Permits 2 Billion Rs 10, Rs 20 Polymer Notes for Field Trials
India has permitted the Reserve Bank of India to print 2 billion polymer notes — one billion each of Rs 10 and Rs 20 — for field trials, reviving a decades-old plan. The RBI has floated a global tender for polymer substrate sheets through BRBNMPL. Experts say polymer notes last two to three times longer than paper, lowering lifetime cost despite higher upfront unit cost, and paper currency will remain legal tender.
Business India Approves 2 Billion Polymer Banknotes for Field Trials as RBI Revives Plastic Currency Plan
The Indian government has authorised the Reserve Bank of India to print an initial batch of 2 billion polymer banknotes for field trials, with one billion Rs 10 notes and one billion Rs 20 notes. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary clarified that paper currency will not be replaced entirely. The move revives a proposal first announced in 2012 and comes as RBI's note printing expenditure fell nearly 25% to Rs 4,875 crore in 2025-26.