Chapter II — Incorporation, Capital, Management and Business

Section 6: Offices, branches and agencies

Reviewed by CA Nikhil Gupta · Last reviewed 18 September 2026

Section 6 governs RBI's offices, branches and agencies and authorises expansion of its physical presence subject to the statutory conditions.

Operative provisionOfficial sources mappedProvision-specific decode

Finin2min - Section 6 in 2 minutes

Legal effectSection 6 governs RBI's offices, branches and agencies and authorises expansion of its physical presence subject to the statutory conditions.

Operative ruleThe provision historically required offices in the named presidency/metropolitan centres and permits branches or agencies elsewhere in India; establishment outside India requires the previous sanction of the Central Government.

Connected lawSection 6 is an institutional-location power, not a rule determining whether an entity is regulated by RBI or where a regulated entity may open a branch.

File evidenceWhen analysing an RBI office or agency arrangement, distinguish RBI's own branch/agency authority from bank branch authorisation under the Banking Regulation Act.

Statutory structure and clause / subsection decode

This map separates the operative limbs of this provision so thresholds, powers, conditions and exceptions are not collapsed into a single summary.

Rule 1

The provision historically required offices in the named presidency/metropolitan centres and permits branches or agencies elsewhere in India

Rule 2

establishment outside India requires the previous sanction of the Central Government.

Connected rule

Section 6 is an institutional-location power, not a rule determining whether an entity is regulated by RBI or where a regulated entity may open a branch.

Worked practical example

Facts. The fact that an RBI office exists in a city does not itself create local regulatory jurisdiction for a private firm's product; the firm's governing statute and RBI direction must still be identified.

Compliance points and common mistakes

Do not decide the issue from the heading alone. Map the facts to the operative words of Section 6 and to each relevant subsection, clause, proviso or explanation shown above.
Keep the statutory question separate from the operational overlay. Section 6 is an institutional-location power, not a rule determining whether an entity is regulated by RBI or where a regulated entity may open a branch.
Do not convert an exception, exemption or discretionary RBI/Government power into an automatic entitlement. Record the authority, conditions and effective date.
Where the provision is historical, omitted or repealed, state that status prominently and do not present it as a current compliance obligation.

Connected provisions and instruments

Section 6 has no universal instrument dependency in this package. Add an RBI circular or direction only when its subject, entity and effective date cover the issue being analysed.

Questions and answers

What is the purpose of Section 6?

Offices, branches and agencies: Section 6 governs RBI's offices, branches and agencies and authorises expansion of its physical presence subject to the statutory conditions.

Which statutory limb should be checked first?

Rule 1 - The provision historically required offices in the named presidency/metropolitan centres and permits branches or agencies elsewhere in India

What is the next legal boundary?

Rule 2 - establishment outside India requires the previous sanction of the Central Government.

What record should support the conclusion?

Section 6 file evidence: When analysing an RBI office or agency arrangement, distinguish RBI's own branch/agency authority from bank branch authorisation under the Banking Regulation Act.

Primary sources

Source control for Section 6: use the official consolidated RBI Act for the statutory text and footnotes, then separately reconcile any post-Finance Act 2022 amendment, commencement notification or RBI instrument relevant to the event date.