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How Is Money Printed In India?

While the RBI is the main body responsible for all things related to money, the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL) prints the money.

By I Kid You Not , in Explained , at February 12, 2025 Tags: ,

Have you ever wondered – who prints money in India? We explain it simply here.

Who Prints India’s Money? 🏦💰

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India’s central bank, which is responsible for issuing and managing currency (money).

While the RBI is the main body responsible for all things related to money, the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL) prints the money.

So, here are the two organisations that are responsible for printing money

1️⃣ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

The RBI is India’s central bank. It decides how much money should be printed so that we don’t have too little or too much!

Established in 1935, the RBI makes sure that there’s enough supply of clean and real banknotes. But, while the RBI manages the process of issuing the currency, the actual printing is done by special organizations that are allowed by the government to print notes.

2️⃣ The Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL)

The SPMCIL is a company owned by the Indian government that runs special factories where money and coins are made. 🏭

Where Are Factories Where the Banknotes Printed?

The Four Mighty Money Factories of India

India’s banknotes (the currency notes we use every day) are made in four big printing presses across the country. These presses are like high-tech factories where special machines print and prepare money before it reaches us. Let’s visit each one!

1️⃣ Currency Note Press (CNP), Nashik, Maharashtra

📌 Location? Nashik, Maharashtra (Western India)
📌 Who Runs It? The Government of India (SPMCIL)

🔍 Cool Fact: This is one of the oldest printing presses in India! It started printing money in 1928 – almost 100 years ago!

2️⃣ Bank Note Press (BNP), Dewas, Madhya Pradesh

📌 Location: Dewas, Madhya Pradesh (Central India)
📌 Who Runs It? The Government of India (SPMCIL)

🔍 Cool Fact: BNP Dewas prints millions of banknotes every day! It also makes special security inks that help prevent fake money.

3️⃣ Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt. Ltd. (BRBNMPL), Mysuru, Karnataka

📌 Location: Mysuru, Karnataka (Southern India)
📌 Who Runs It? Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

🔍 Cool Fact: This is one of the largest currency printing presses in the world! 🌎

4️⃣ BRBNMPL, Salboni, West Bengal

📌 Where? Salboni, West Bengal (Eastern India)
📌 Who Runs It? Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

🔍 Cool Fact: This press has been printing banknotes since 1995 and works non-stop to supply money all over India!

Why Can’t We Print Unlimited Money? 🤔💸

If India has four presses printing money, why don’t we print unlimited notes and make everyone rich?

🚨 The Big Problem: If we print too much money, its value goes down, and prices of everything (food, clothes, houses) go up. This is called inflation, and it makes life harder instead of better!

That’s why RBI carefully controls how much money should be printed. They make sure that we have enough but not too much! 🏦💰

How Are Indian Banknotes Designed?

The design of a banknote is not random—it’s carefully planned to be beautiful, meaningful, and secure.

1️⃣ Who Decides the Design?

  • The Government of India decides what will be on the rupee notes.
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) helps design and suggest changes.
  • The Ministry of Finance approves the final design.

2️⃣ What’s on a Banknote?

Every Indian note features:

✔️ Mahatma Gandhi’s Portrait – The Father of the Nation 🇮🇳
✔️ Numerals in Different Languages – India has many languages, so notes feature multiple scripts!
✔️ Security Features – Hidden patterns, colour shifts, and microprinting prevent fakes.
✔️ A Unique Theme – Each denomination showcases India’s culture, heritage, or nature.

3️⃣ Themes on Indian Rupee Notes 🌏🏛️

DenominationDesign Theme
₹10Konark Sun Temple 🌞🏛️
₹20Ellora Caves 🏰
₹50Hampi with Chariot ⛩️
₹100Rani ki Vav Stepwell 🏞️
₹200Sanchi Stupa 🏯
₹500Red Fort 🏰
₹2000Mangalyaan (Mars Mission) 🚀🪐

💡 Fun Fact: The ₹2000 note features India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) to celebrate India’s success in space! 🌌🚀

How Are Banknotes Protected? 🔐💎

Printing money is easy. But making secure money that cannot be copied? That’s a challenge! 🕵️‍♂️💵

Here’s how India safeguards its banknotes from counterfeiters (fakes):

1️⃣ Watermark

  • If you hold an Indian note up to the light, you’ll see a hidden Mahatma Gandhi watermark and a special number!
  • Why? This makes it difficult to copy using scanners or printers.

2️⃣ Color Changing Ink 🎨🔄

  • ₹500 and ₹2000 notes have numbers that change colour from green to blue when tilted.
  • Why? This makes fake notes easy to spot.

3️⃣ Security Thread 🏗️🔍

  • There’s a silver security strip running through every note.
  • If you tilt the note, the strip disappears and reappears!
  • Why? This is tough to duplicate with normal printing.

4️⃣ Microlettering 🔠🔍

  • Tiny words like “RBI” and “भारत” are printed so small that you need a magnifying glass to see them!
  • Why? Fake notes often miss these tiny details.

5️⃣ UV Fluorescent Ink 🌟🟡

  • Under ultraviolet (UV) light, some features glow on real rupee notes!
  • Why? This makes counterfeiting extremely difficult.

Bonus: Who Checks if Notes Are Fake? 🔎💰

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and banks use special machines to scan rupee notes. If a note fails the test, it is removed from circulation immediately! 🚨

💡 Tip: Want to check if your rupee note is real? Use the RBI’s MANI App on your phone! 📱🔍

🔗 Download the RBI MANI App: RBI MANI App

Where Do Indian Coins Come From? 🪙

💡 Have you ever held a shiny ₹1, ₹5, or ₹10 coin and wondered, “Where was this made?” 🤔 Well, coins don’t magically appear—they are made in super-secure government mints! Let’s explore the fascinating world of Indian coins! 🚀🪙

Who Makes Coins in India?

While banknotes are printed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), coins are made by the Government of India through an organization called:

Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL)

  • SPMCIL is owned by the Ministry of Finance and operates four special coin mints across India.
  • These mints produce circulation coins, commemorative coins, medals, and even special security items! 🏅

India has four official government mints where coins are made:

Mint LocationWhere?Who Runs It?
Mumbai MintMaharashtraSPMCIL
Kolkata MintWest BengalSPMCIL
Hyderabad MintTelanganaSPMCIL
Noida MintUttar PradeshSPMCIL

Each mint produces millions of coins every day to keep up with demand across the country!

Here’s the information about the notes

₹10 Banknote:

  • Base Color: Chocolate Brown
  • Dimensions: 63 mm (width) x 123 mm (height)
  • Obverse (Front):
    • Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre
    • Denominational numeral “१०” in Devanagari
    • Micro letters ‘भारत’ and ‘INDIA’
    • Windowed demetalized security thread with inscriptions ‘भारत’ and ‘RBI’
    • Number panels with numerals growing from small to big on the top left and bottom right sides
  • Reverse (Back):
    • Motif of Sun Temple, Konark
    • Swachh Bharat logo with slogan
    • Language panel
    • The year of printing on the left

₹50 Banknote:

  • Base Color: Fluorescent Blue
  • Dimensions: 66 mm (width) x 135 mm (height)
  • Obverse (Front):
    • Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre
    • Denominational numeral “५०” in Devanagari
    • Micro letters ‘भारत’ and ‘INDIA’
    • Windowed demetalized security thread with inscriptions ‘भारत’ and ‘RBI’
    • Number panels with numerals growing from small to big on the top left and bottom right sides
  • Reverse (Back):
    • Motif of Hampi with Chariot
    • Swachh Bharat logo with slogan
    • Language panel
    • The year of printing on the left

₹100 Banknote:

  • Base Color: Lavender
  • Dimensions: 66 mm (width) x 142 mm (height)
  • Obverse (Front):
    • Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre
    • Denominational numeral “१००” in Devanagari
    • Micro letters ‘भारत’ and ‘INDIA’
    • Windowed security thread with inscriptions ‘भारत’ and ‘RBI’ with a colour shift from green to blue
    • Number panels with numerals growing from small to big on the top left and bottom right sides
  • Reverse (Back):
    • Motif of Rani ki Vav (Queen’s Stepwell)
    • Swachh Bharat logo with slogan
    • Language panel
    • The year of printing on the left

₹200 Banknote:

  • Base Color: Bright Yellow
  • Dimensions: 66 mm (width) x 146 mm (height)
  • Obverse (Front):
    • Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre
    • Denominational numeral “२००” in Devanagari
    • Micro letters ‘भारत’ and ‘INDIA’
    • Windowed security thread with inscriptions ‘भारत’ and ‘RBI’ with a colour shift from green to blue
    • Number panels with numerals growing from small to big on the top left and bottom right sides
  • Reverse (Back):
    • Motif of Sanchi Stupa
    • Swachh Bharat logo with slogan
    • Language panel
    • The year of printing on the left

₹500 Banknote

  • Dimensions: 66 mm (width) x 150 mm (height)
  • Base Color: Stone Grey
  • Obverse (Front):
    • Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre
    • Denominational numeral “५००” in Devanagari
    • Micro letters ‘भारत’ and ‘INDIA’
    • Windowed security thread with inscriptions ‘भारत’ and ‘RBI’ with a colour shift from green to blue
    • Number panels with numerals growing from small to big on the top left and bottom right sides
  • Reverse (Back):
    • Motif of Red Fort
    • Swachh Bharat logo with slogan
    • Language panel
    • Denominational numeral in Devanagari on the right

₹2000 Banknote

  • Dimensions: 66 mm (width) x 166 mm (height)
  • Base Color: Magenta
  • Obverse (Front):
    • Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre
    • Denominational numeral “२०००” in Devanagari
    • Micro letters ‘भारत’ and ‘INDIA’
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