Small, medium banks offer higher rates to attract NRI deposits

Small and mid-sized Indian banks are ramping up FCNR(B) deposit rates to attract non-resident Indians after interest rate deregulation, offering returns above 7.4–7.5% without leverage benefits. In contrast, larger banks are focusing on structured offerings with high leverage (9–19x) but keeping base rates below 7%, leveraging their global partnerships and strong NRI relationships.