FCRA designated bank account - SBI Main Branch, New Delhi

Since the FCRA Amendment Act 2020, every FCRA-registered NGO in India must hold its designated foreign-contribution account at State Bank of India, Main Branch, 11 Sansad Marg, New Delhi-110001. No exceptions. This guide covers opening the account, the documents you need, how utilisation accounts work, and the operational rules that catch out new FCRA holders.

Why this rule exists

Pre-2020, NGOs could hold their FCRA-designated account at any FEMA-Section 6 authorised bank. After the amendment, MHA centralised receipt of all foreign contribution through one branch - SBI Sansad Marg - so the government has a single window for monitoring inflows. The rule is operational, not punitive: it doesn't restrict how you spend, only where you initially receive.

The two-account model

Every FCRA-active NGO ends up with at least two bank accounts:

1. Designated FCRA Account - at SBI Main Branch, New Delhi. Only foreign contribution lands here. No domestic income, no commingling.
2. FCRA Utilisation Account(s) - at any FEMA-Section 6 authorised bank, anywhere in India. You transfer from the designated account to utilisation account(s) to actually spend the funds.

You can have multiple utilisation accounts (one per office, one per programme, etc.) but only one designated account. All transfers must trace cleanly from designated → utilisation → expense.

Opening the designated account

You don't need to travel to Delhi. SBI Sansad Marg lets you open the account via your existing local SBI relationship. Process:

1. Visit any SBI branch (your existing relationship branch works). Tell them you need to open an FCRA designated account at Main Branch, New Delhi.
2. Submit the account-opening form with the documents listed below. Local branch couriers it to Main Branch.
3. Main Branch processes in 7-15 working days. You'll receive the account number, branch code (00691), and IFSC (SBIN0000691).
4. Internet banking needs a separate application via the corporate-banking team. Allow another 5-7 working days.
5. Update FCRA portal. Log in to fcraonline.nic.in and update the bank account details in your FCRA profile. Without this, foreign donors' transfers will bounce because MHA's records and the bank's records don't match.

Documents required for account opening

1. FCRA registration certificate (regular or prior permission)
2. NGO registration certificate (Trust deed / MOA / Society registration)
3. PAN card of the NGO
4. NGO Darpan ID (NITI Aayog)
5. Board resolution authorising account opening (signed by trustees / directors)
6. Authorised signatory KYC - Aadhaar + PAN + photo of each signatory (typically 2-3)
7. Address proof of the NGO (utility bill / rent agreement)
8. Latest audited financials (if available)
9. Account-opening form (SBI's CINB form for non-individual accounts)
10. Mandate form specifying signing authority (single / joint / either-or-survivor)

What can land in the designated account

Only "foreign contribution" as defined in Section 2(1)(h) of the FCRA Act. That means:

• Donations from foreign sources (individuals / companies / trusts outside India)
• Donations from foreign government / international organisations (with FCRA permission)
• Donations from foreign-controlled Indian entities (>50% foreign equity)
• Donations from NRIs and OCIs are NOT foreign contribution - they're domestic. Don't route NRI donations to the FCRA account.

Domestic income must never touch this account. No CSR donations, no 80G donor money, no programme service fees, no interest from non-FCRA accounts. Commingling is a Section 11 violation and the most common MHA finding in scrutiny.

The utilisation account(s)

You cannot pay expenses directly from the designated account. The flow must be: designated → utilisation → expense. Set up utilisation accounts at any bank with FEMA Section 6 authority (most large banks). Best practice:

• One utilisation account per major programme, named like "Donateazy Charitable Trust - Education Programme Utilisation"
• One utilisation account for administrative expenses (helps with the 20% admin cap audit - see our FCRA admin cap guide)
• Transfer from designated to utilisation only as needed - don't sweep the whole balance the moment it lands. MHA prefers transfers tied to budgeted programme cycles.
• Each utilisation account must be declared in FC-4 (the annual return)

Reporting requirements

1. FC-1 (now FC-6) - quarterly contribution return. Filed within 15 days of quarter-end. Lists every foreign donor + amount + date received. Auto-populated from your designated-account bank statement.
2. FC-4 - annual return. Filed by 31 December for the prior FY (April-March). Lists total receipts, all utilisation accounts, full expense break-up, admin vs programme split.
3. FC-3C - renewal application. Filed 6 months before your FCRA registration's 5-year expiry. See our FCRA renewal guide.

Common errors to avoid

1. Forgetting to update fcraonline.nic.in. Account opens at SBI, but the FCRA portal still shows the old account. Foreign donors' transfers bounce. Always update the portal within 24 hours of getting the SBI account number.
2. Receiving NRI donations into the designated account. NRI = Indian citizen, not foreign source. Route NRI donations to your regular domestic account.
3. Using the designated account for an unrelated transfer. Some operators briefly park surplus funds there to "test" - the bank doesn't care, but MHA reads the bank statement at FC-4 and flags every non-foreign credit.
4. Direct payment from designated account to vendors. Always route through utilisation account. Bank may execute the payment, MHA will flag it in FC-4 review.
5. Forex conversion mismatches. Foreign currency is converted to INR by SBI at the day's rate. The INR figure in your books must match SBI's credit advice - don't recompute using your own exchange rate.
6. Interest income from the FCRA account. Interest is itself foreign contribution and must stay in the FCRA system (designated or utilisation). Don't sweep it to your domestic account.

If your existing bank account predates the 2020 amendment

NGOs that had FCRA accounts at other banks (HDFC, ICICI, etc.) before the amendment had until 31 March 2021 to migrate. If you missed the migration window, your old account is technically inactive for FCRA purposes - any foreign credit there is in violation. Cure: open the SBI Main Branch account now, run the old account down to zero by transferring residual balance to the new SBI account (use the special MHA-issued migration code on the transfer), then close the old account.

What about banking outside SBI for the same NGO?

Yes - the designated account must be at SBI Main Branch. Utilisation accounts can be anywhere. Your operating bank for domestic donations can be entirely different. Most NGOs end up with: domestic operating account at a local bank, FCRA designated at SBI Main Branch Delhi, FCRA utilisation at a convenient local bank.

Frequently asked questions

Can a small NGO with ₹2 lakh annual foreign contribution skip SBI Main Branch? No. The rule has no minimum threshold. ₹100 or ₹100 crore - same rule.

Can the designated account be held in a different SBI branch? No. Sansad Marg only.

What if my NGO is in Mumbai and the SBI Main Branch Delhi is inconvenient? All operations except receipt can happen locally. Utilisation accounts, day-to-day banking, branch visits - all via your local bank. SBI Main Branch only receives the inbound foreign contribution.

How long does Main Branch take to clear a foreign transfer? 2-5 working days from foreign bank's SWIFT initiation to INR landing in your designated account. International transfers from Europe / US tend to be 3-4 days; from Australia / Japan 1-2 days.

Does the bank deduct any charges? SBI charges a SWIFT receipt fee (~₹500 per transfer) and a forex commission (~0.1-0.25%). Both are admin expenses (rule 5(d)) for the 20% cap calculation.

Can I receive crypto-currency donations? Currently no - FCRA recognises only fiat currency through the banking channel. Crypto donations to an FCRA-active NGO are technically a Section 11 violation.

Donateazy's FCRA bank-account tracking

• Two-account model enforced at data level - designated vs utilisation accounts
• Auto-flag if a foreign credit lands in a non-designated account
• Auto-flag if a domestic credit lands in the designated account
• Designated → utilisation transfer log with purpose tagging
• Auto-build FC-6 (quarterly) and FC-4 (annual) from the classified ledger
• SWIFT receipt + forex-conversion reconciliation