Bank of China — one of the four biggest state-run Chinese lenders — has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to open branches in India.
The Beijing-based lender has a presence in 51 countries.
The lender is categorised as a Global Systemically Important Bank (GISB) by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is the other Chinese lender that has presence in the country along with 44 other foreign banks.
RBI had promised if foreign lenders adopt wholly-owned subsidiary route than they would be treated at par with domestic banks that enjoy liberalised branch licence regime.
Foreign banks that operate through branch route face a restrictive regime as they have to take RBI’s prior approval for opening each branch.