Overview
- The government approved the Reserve Bank of India’s proposal to issue one billion polymer ₹10 notes and one billion polymer ₹20 notes for field trials, a decision reported in Parliament on Monday.
- BRBNMPL, the RBI’s printing arm, has floated a global expression of interest for opacified polymer substrate with embedded security features as part of procurement for the trials.
- Officials say paper notes will continue to circulate and that a wider rollout will follow only if the trials show the polymer notes perform well in Indian handling and weather conditions.
- RBI argues polymer notes last several times longer than cotton‑based notes, which can raise upfront costs but cut long‑term printing, transport and disposal spending if durability holds up.
- The trials will also evaluate anti‑counterfeiting features and public acceptance, and authorities say any effect on India’s fast‑growing digital payments ecosystem can be judged only after regular issuance.