RBI issued draft guidelines to revise the Lead Bank Scheme and opened a public consultation through March 6, 2026.

Banks and state-level banking committees should expect revised governance for district credit planning, including tighter role definitions for Lead District Managers and SLBC convenor banks, which can change how priority-sector targets and branch expansion plans are set and reviewed. The draft also formalizes monitoring against a 60% credit-deposit ratio benchmark for rural and semi-urban branches, creating a clearer performance yardstick that can drive reallocation of lending capacity and deposit mobilization efforts. The long consultation window gives institutions time to submit operational constraints (connectivity, power, security, law-and-order) as implementation blockers and to adjust internal reporting and coordination processes before final guidelines are issued.