Overview
- BRBNMPL, the Reserve Bank's note‑printing subsidiary, floated a global expression of interest on July 17 that seeks 68,000 reams of BOPP opacified polymer substrate to enable trial printing at BRBNMPL and SPMCIL presses.
- The tender frames the purchase as an initial field trial split across two denominations, with 34,000 reams earmarked per denomination and bids due on August 18.
- Bidders face strict security and sourcing rules that ban raw materials from China or Pakistan, require firewalls for any operations there, restrict related personnel, and call for government security clearances.
- Technical eligibility demands at least three years' experience supplying security‑feature polymer substrates, capacity to supply 30% of the order, submission of lab‑test samples, and certifications such as being free of animal tallow and DNA.
- If trials succeed, the next steps are laboratory testing of samples, field trials, and larger procurements; media report an Rs 10/20 pilot as likely next year but the RBI has not confirmed denominations or a rollout timetable.