The math behind FD interest rates will change from October 1; find out how retail and bulk deposits will be affected..

RBI New FD Rules: Under the Reserve Bank of India's new regulations, it will now be mandatory for all bank branches to offer the same interest rate on Fixed Deposits (FDs) of the same amount booked on the same day. Additionally, a new rule has been introduced requiring rates for bulk deposits of ₹3 crore or more to be released daily at 10:00 AM.

The primary objective of the guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is to ensure transparency and uniformity for bank customers across the country. These new rules will apply to all commercial banks, small finance banks, regional rural banks (RRBs), local area banks, payments banks, and urban cooperative banks.

Three major changes have been introduced:
Uniformity across branches: Different interest rates cannot be offered by different branches of the same bank for FDs of the same amount and tenure booked on the same day.

Advance rate disclosure on websites: Banks are required to publish their list of interest rates on their official websites in advance.

New timing and liquidity rules for bulk deposits: It has been made mandatory to publish rates for large depositors on the website daily by 10:00 AM.

Uniform interest rates across all branches
It was often observed that some bank branches offered varying interest rates to customers based on existing relationships or specific negotiations. However, under the new rules, if a customer opens FDs of the same amount at two different branches of the same bank on the same day, both will earn the same interest rate. In other words, banks will no longer be able to discriminate among customers regarding deposits of the same amount and tenure.

How will this affect general FD investors?
If you opened an FD before October 1, 2026, you will continue to receive the agreed-upon interest rate until maturity. This RBI decision will not directly result in any increase or decrease in FD interest rates. Banks will determine rates based on their cost of funds and market conditions. Customers will no longer need to visit bank branches to verify rates; the rates displayed on the bank's website will be considered final and authoritative.

**New Rules for Bulk Deposits and LCR Framework**
The Reserve Bank of India has classified deposits of ₹3 crore and above as 'bulk deposits' for scheduled commercial banks and small finance banks. Banks are required to upload their bulk fixed deposit (FD) rates to their websites daily by 10:00 AM, with a grace period extending up to 10:10 AM. However, banks have the flexibility to set varying interest rates for different bulk deposits based on liquidity risk. This rule will also apply to Rupee deposits held by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).

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