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The government has approved the introduction of one billion polymer banknotes of Rs 10 and Rs 20 for field trials, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with the recommendation of its central board, had sent a proposal to the government in terms of Section 25 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, for introduction of one billion pieces each of Rs 10 and Rs 20 polymer banknotes for field trials and for regular issuance of polymer banknotes in these two denominations after successful completion of field trials, Finance Minister said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. "The proposal has been approved by the government. As per the RBI, these polymer banknotes are proposed to be issued along with paper substrate-based banknotes," she said. The RBI has informed that the procurement process is presently at an initial stage, she said. Therefore, she said, at this point of time, it would not be possible to practicably determine the exact timeframe for ...
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday said a proposal to introduce polymer currency notes is under consideration of the central bank, and the idea is currently at a preliminary stage. Malhotra said no decision has been taken in the matter as yet, and the apex bank is examining the feasibility of such a move. "As far as polymer notes are concerned, the proposal is under consideration. As soon as any decision is taken on it, we will inform you," Malhotra said during the post-monetary policy press conference here. The governor said media reports on the issue carry some truth, but clarified that the central bank has not taken any decision and the proposal remains at a preliminary stage. "We are examining the pros and cons of it and whether it would be worthwhile to implement. It is still at a preliminary stage," Malhotra said. The RBI is evaluating the advantages and drawbacks of polymer notes and whether their introduction would be worthwhile, according to the governor. In February
BLS Polymers has filed preliminary papers with markets regulator Sebi to seek its approval for raising funds through an initial public offering (IPO). The company's maiden public issue is an entirely fresh issue of 1.7 crore equity shares with no offer for sale (OFS) component, according to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) filed on Wednesday. Proceeds from the issue to the tune of Rs 69.84 crore will be used for expanding the company's manufacturing facility by increasing the capacity of certain existing products; around Rs 75 crore will be allocated towards meeting the working capital requirements of the company; and the balance will be used for general corporate purposes. BLS Polymers manufactures a wide range of custom polymer compounds used across industries such as telecommunications, power, railways, water, and oil & gas distribution. These compounds are essential for sheathing, jacketing, and insulating wires and cables in power, telecom, and railway sectors, as well
HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), India's major oil refining and petrochemical company, achieved a record 2 million tonnes of polymer sales in the fiscal ended March 2025, surpassing expectations and reinforcing its position as an industry trailblazer. "This accomplishment is the result of HMEL's unwavering commitment to understanding customer needs and providing tailored solutions for niche applications across various polymer segments," the firm said in a statement. HMEL has undertaken a massive USD 3 billion expansion of petrochemical capacity, increasing its polypropylene capacity to 1 million tonnes a year, and adding a polyethylene capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per annum, catering to the major application segments. 2024-25 was the first full year of operations of the new plant featuring pioneering technologies from world-class licensors. HMEL is a joint venture between state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Mittal Energy Investment Pte Ltd, Singapore - pa
Pakistan's central bank will experiment with a new polymer plastic currency banknote later this year while redesigning all the existing banknotes for enhanced security and hologram features. State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmed told a Senate committee on banking and finance in Islamabad that all the existing paper currency notes are being redesigned with new security features by December this year. Ahmed said the newly redesigned banknotes in the denominations of Rs 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 would be issued in December. The old notes would remain in circulation for five years being eased out of the market by the central bank, a source close to the committee said. The State Bank governor also informed the Senate committee members that a new polymer plastic bank note would be issued in one denomination for the public and if it is received well, plastic currency would follow in other denominations. Presently around 40 countries use polymer plastic banknotes which are ha