RBI Begins Trials for Polymer Currency Notes

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is planning to introduce polymer currency notes by the financial year 2027-28. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced that field trials are currently underway to evaluate the durability, security features, and overall performance of the new notes before they are introduced into circulation. The final decision will be taken only after assessing the trial results.

The Finance Ministry has already approved the RBI’s proposal to conduct field trials of ₹10 and ₹20 polymer notes. As part of the pilot project, one billion ₹10 notes and one billion ₹20 notes will be issued for testing under different climatic and usage conditions across India. The RBI clarified that there is no plan to replace paper currency completely, and polymer notes will circulate alongside existing paper notes if the trials are successful.