India clears trials and regular issuance of ₹10 and ₹20 polymer notes

The government has approved field trials and eventual regular issuance of ₹10 and ₹20 polymer banknotes. The notes will circulate alongside paper currency, creating a durability-led shift in cash handling for retailers, banks and payments infrastructure providers.

— Filed Mon, 27 Jul, 2026, 19:11 IST · Source The Hindu BusinessLine · Updated

India approved field trials and eventual regular issuance of ₹10 and ₹20 polymer banknotes. The RBI says plastic notes will circulate alongside paper currency, not replace it, with implications for cash-handling and payments infrastructure across Indian retail.

Why this matters

The approval advances RBI's recent exploration of polymer ₹10 and ₹20 notes and follows reports of a government-cleared RBI pilot for 2 billion notes.

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