On July 30, 2026, the RBI finalised rules allowing banks to price bulk term deposits differently based on their liquidity profile under the LCR (Liquidity Coverage Ratio) framework, with mandatory daily website disclosure of bulk deposit rates by 10 am — effective October 1, 2026.
The RBI just quietly changed the rules on how banks can price large corporate deposits — and if you park surplus cash in a bank, or borrow from one, this matters to you.
A quick translation: a "bulk deposit" is any large-sum term deposit (think ₹2 crore and above). The LCR — Liquidity Coverage Ratio — is a Basel III rule requiring banks to hold enough liquid assets to survive 30 days of stress outflows. Different deposits carry different "run-off rates": a sticky retail deposit might run off at 7.5%, while a flighty corporate deposit runs off at 40%+. Higher run-off = costlier for the bank to hold = logically, a lower rate offered.
Until now, banks had to offer uniform rates on similar deposits regardless of that liquidity cost. Now they can differentiate.
Here is how a CFO reads this. First, if your company is a large depositor, expect banks to start pricing your deposits based on how "sticky" they judge you to be — longer tenor, lower withdrawal risk, better rate. Second, a CFO watching treasury yield would ask: does my cash management strategy need to shift toward longer-duration deposits to capture better rates? Third, the transparency rule — rates published daily at 10 am sharp — means corporate treasurers can now compare banks in real time, which quietly increases competition for your surplus cash.
Treasury isn't just about "parking money". It is active risk management. This RBI move is a reminder that the cost of a liability, and the return on an asset, are both functions of liquidity risk — not just the rate printed on the tin.
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