The Central government has assured Parliament that there is no shortage of lower-denomination currency notes — Rs 10, Rs 20, and Rs 50 — in circulation across the country, pushing back against concerns about the availability of small-value banknotes.
Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary made the statement in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, citing data from the Reserve Bank of India.
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In the current financial year up to February 26, the RBI has supplied 439.40 crore pieces of Rs 10 denomination notes, 193.70 crore pieces of Rs 20 notes, and 130.30 crore pieces of Rs 50 notes.
In the previous financial year (FY25), the central bank supplied 180 crore pieces of Rs 10 notes, 150 crore pieces of Rs 20 notes, and 300 crore pieces of Rs 50 notes.
Chaudhary acknowledged a common public frustration — the absence of lower denomination notes in ATMs — but explained that this is by design rather than due to any shortage.
"As per the RBI, lower-denomination banknotes have not been traditionally dispensed through ATMs," he said, adding that a pilot project for dispensing smaller denomination notes through dedicated small-value dispensers has been launched to address this gap.
The demand for lower denominations is currently met through a combination of banknotes, coins, and the growing use of digital payment modes, which now account for a significant share of low-value transactions in the economy.
The RBI continuously assesses denomination requirements and makes recommendations to the government on the appropriate mix of notes to be printed.
Responding to a separate question, Chaudhary said that the total number of digital transactions reported through RuPay Kisan Credit Card (KCC) cards in FY 2025-26 up to December 31, 2025, stood at 3.72 lakh, with a total value of Rs 111.17 crore.
The credit limit for farmers under the KCC scheme is determined based on the scale of finance for crops, area under cultivation, cropping pattern, and related requirements.