Emirates NBD's India branches to merge into RBL Bank on Dec 1
RBI has approved the merger of Dubai-based Emirates NBD Bank's Indian branches into RBL Bank; from December 1, 2026, they will work as RBL Bank branches.
Official title: RBI approves amalgamation of Indian branches of Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C. with RBL Bank Limited · Press Release 2026-2027/1342
What happened
RBI has sanctioned a Scheme of Amalgamation under which the Indian branches of Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C., a large bank based in Dubai, will be merged into RBL Bank Limited, a private bank headquartered in Mumbai. RBI approved it under Section 44A(4) of the Banking Regulation Act, which covers voluntary mergers of banks.
The merger takes effect on December 1, 2026. From that day, all Indian branches of Emirates NBD will function as branches of RBL Bank.
The release does not repeat the commercial terms. The step follows Emirates NBD's 2025 agreement to take a controlling stake in RBL Bank, which included combining its Indian branches with RBL.
What it means for you
If you bank with Emirates NBD in India, your deposits and loans move to RBL Bank from December 1, 2026, and your branch becomes an RBL Bank branch. Watch for messages about account details, cheque books or cards. Deposit insurance of ₹5 lakh is per bank, so if you hold deposits in both banks, the combined amount will be covered only up to ₹5 lakh after the merger. RBL Bank customers see no change from this release.
What it means for businesses
Companies, exporters and importers banking with Emirates NBD in India become RBL Bank customers from December 1, 2026, and should confirm details such as account numbers, IFSC codes and trade facilities. For RBL Bank, it adds the Emirates NBD India business.
Links in this release, explained
- Scheme of Amalgamation
The formal scheme RBI sanctioned, setting out how the business of Emirates NBD's Indian branches transfers to RBL Bank. We could not open it, so we have not summarised its terms; customers with specific questions about their accounts may find answers there.
rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/content/pdfs/Schemeofamalgamation16102026.pdf
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.