RBI’s new bank leverage norms effective April 1

The RBI on Friday said the latest leverage ratio framework for banks issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision will come into force from April 1, 2027.

The minimum leverage ratio for a domestic systemically important bank (D-SIB) will be 4 per cent and 3.5 per cent for other banks, said the Reserve Bank's guidelines on the implementation of 'Leverage Ratio 2017 Standard'.

Further, a branch of a global systemically important bank (G-SIB) in India will have to maintain a leverage ratio of 3.5 per cent plus the leverage ratio buffer applicable to it as a G-SIB (including any additional leverage ratio buffer prescribed by the home regulator), it said.

"Capital distribution constraints will be imposed on a G-SIB branch which does not meet its leverage ratio buffer requirement," the guidelines said.  In August, the central bank had issued the draft Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy) Eleventh Amendment Directions inviting feedback from stakeholders. In their feedback, stakeholders had requested more time to transition to the revised leverage ratio framework. However, the RBI did not accept the suggestion.

"The effective date for implementation of the draft Amendment Directions was specified as April 1, 2027, aligning with the mandate for Basel III compliance, as stated in the Governor's statement dated October 1, 2025," the RBI said.