RBI/2011-12/180
A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 18

September 16, 2011

To

All Banks Authorised to Deal in Foreign Exchange

Madam / Sir,

Loans in Rupees by resident individuals to NRI close relatives

Attention of the Authorised Dealer (AD) banks is invited to Regulation 7 of the Notification No. FEMA 4/2000 dated May 3, 2000, viz. Foreign Exchange Management (Borrowing and Lending in Rupees) Regulations, 2000, as amended from time to time, in terms of which an authorised dealer in India may grant loan in rupees to a non-resident Indian.

2. The Committee to review the facilities for individuals under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 has in its Report recommended that resident individuals may be granted general permission to lend in Rupees to their non-resident close relative (means relative as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956) for any personal purpose or business activities other than agricultural/plantation activities or real estate or relending business.

3. The extant position has been reviewed and it has been decided to permit a resident individual to lend to a Non resident Indian (NRI)/ Person of Indian Origin (PIO) close relative [means relative as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956] by way of crossed cheque /electronic transfer, subject to the following conditions:

(i)   the loan is free of interest and the minimum maturity of the loan is one year;

(ii) the loan amount should be within the overall limit under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme of USD 200,000 per financial year available for a resident individual. It would be the responsibility of the lender to ensure that the amount of loan is within the Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit of USD 200,000 during the financial year;

(iii)  the loan shall be utilised for meeting the borrower's personal requirements or for his own business purposes in India;

(iv)   the loan shall not be utilised, either singly or in association with other person, for any of the activities in which investment by persons resident outside India is prohibited, namely;

(a) the business of chit fund, or
(b) Nidhi Company, or
(c) agricultural or plantation activities or in real estate business, or construction of farm houses, or
(d) trading in Transferable Development Rights (TDRs).

Explanation: For the purpose of item (c) above, real estate business shall not include development of townships, construction of residential / commercial premises, roads or bridges.

(v)  The loan amount should be credited to the NRO a/c of the NRI /PIO. Credit of such loan amount may be treated as an eligible credit to NRO a/c;

(vi)   the loan amount shall not be remitted outside India; and

(vii) repayment of loan shall be made by way of inward remittances through normal banking channels or by debit to the Non-resident Ordinary (NRO) /  Non-resident External (NRE) / Foreign Currency Non-resident (FCNR) account of the borrower or out of the sale proceeds of the shares or securities or immovable property against which such loan was granted.

4. The necessary amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Borrowing and Lending in Rupees) Regulations, 2000 and Foreign Exchange Management (Deposit) Regulations, 2000 are being issued separately.

5. AD banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their constituents and customers concerned.

6. The directions contained in this circular have been issued under Sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999) and are without prejudice to permissions/approvals, if any, required under any other law.

Yours faithfully,

(Meena Hemchandra)
Chief General Manager In-Charge