T-bill auction on Oct 7: Centre to raise ₹23,000 crore in three bills
The government will sell ₹8,000 crore of 91-day, ₹8,000 crore of 182-day and ₹7,000 crore of 364-day Treasury bills on October 7. Payment on October 8.
Official title: Auction of 91-Day, 182-Day and 364-Day Treasury Bills · Press Release 2026-2027/1234
What happened
The Reserve Bank has announced a Treasury bill auction for Wednesday, October 7, 2026. The government wants ₹23,000 crore: ₹8,000 crore through 91-day bills, ₹8,000 crore through 182-day bills and ₹7,000 crore through 364-day bills. Payment is due on Thursday, October 8.
Banks and big investors bid between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. Small investors who do not name a rate can bid between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m. Up to 5% of the notified amount is kept for individuals. States, provident funds and some foreign central banks can also bid this way, outside the notified amount. Results are announced the same day. It is a routine weekly borrowing.
What it means for you
You can buy Treasury bills yourself through the RBI Retail Direct portal. They are a very safe way to park spare money for three months to a year.
What it means for businesses
Banks, funds and companies use T-bills to park spare cash. The yields from this auction guide short-term interest rates.
Links in this release, explained
- General Notification on sale of government securities (March 26, 2025)
The standing Finance Ministry notice that sets the general rules for how the Centre sells its bonds and Treasury bills. Each auction is held under it.
rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/content/pdfs/GOI26032025_1.pdf - Scheme for Non-competitive Bidding Facility in the Auctions of Government Securities
RBI scheme that lets small investors apply for government securities without naming a price. They get the bond at the average rate that big bidders settle on. Open it if you want to know how a small investor can take part.
www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12193&Mode=0 - RBI Retail Direct portal
RBI's free online platform where individuals can open an account and buy government bonds and Treasury bills directly, without a broker. A simple way for ordinary savers to take part in these auctions.
rbiretaildirect.org.in - RBI forms page
A list of RBI forms. It is where the paper bid form can be downloaded. Paper bids are accepted only if the electronic system fails, so most readers can ignore it.
www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_ViewForms.aspx
Read the original
Press release on rbi.org.in ↗ Official PDF ↗
This explainer simplifies the official text. If anything here differs from the RBI's release, the release is right.