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These transactions take place between resident and non-resident Indians. But before rupee is internationalized, there are some conditions are to be fulfilled. What are they?
Internationalization of rupee requires full convertibility of the currency and a restriction free cross border transfer of funds. India only allows full convertibility on current accounts. Now full convertibility on capital accounts is needed. Read all about convertibility here.
Currently, the US dollar, the Euro, the Japanese yen and the pound sterling are the leading reserve currencies in the world. China is also trying to make its currency renminbi more international but has had limited success so far.
The US dollar enjoys the highest privilege among all currencies in the world. It is used in most global transactions. This is mainly due to the size of the US economy, the reach of its financial networks and the depth and liquidity of its financial markets. The dollar's dominance can also be credited to the lack of good alternatives.
Benefits of Internationalisation of Rupee:
However there are some challenges such as
However, recently RBI has hinted to take steps towards higher convertibility and internationalisation of rupee. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed banks from 18 countries to settle payments in the rupee. This includes names like Sri Lanka, Israel, Russia, Germany, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Apart from this, 64 other countries have expressed their intent to trade with India in rupee.
Interestingly, the Indian rupee was the legal tender in the Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and UAE, till the early 1970s. In 1959, the Centre allowed the RBI to issue special notes only for the Gulf region. The currency had the same value as the Indian rupee and was known as the Gulf rupee or external rupee.
Moreover, Indians could also take the Indian rupee notes when they went on the Haj pilgrimage and exchange them freely for Saudi riyals. Later, the Centre introduced special notes for the pilgrimage with the word "HAJ" inscribed on it. These were called "Haj notes''. Read about Haj Currency here
The Indian currency, however, was devalued in 1966. This led to several countries in the Gulf withdrawing the use of the Gulf rupee. Gradually, by the early 1970s, all the countries stopped using the Gulf rupee as their currency.
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