Companies Bid for India’s Polymer Banknote Trial

Companies reported to have submitted bids to supply sheets with advanced security features for India’s polymer banknote trial include CCL Secure (Australia), Cosmo First in partnership with De La Rue, and Q&T Hi-Tech Polymer from Vietnam (partnering with India-based Pigments and Allieds, a supplier of coatings, pigments and taggants).

As reported in the July issue of Currency News™, Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt Ltd (BRBNMPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), issued a global Expression of Interest for the manufacture and supply of polymer substrates. The immediate requirement is for 68,000 reams of BOPP-based opacified polymer substrate, with 34,000 reams for each of two denominations – understood to be the ₹10 and ₹20.

The substrate must have a uniform opacifying coating and an anti-static coating to provide a suitable surface for printing and ink adhesion. Bidders must also show they can integrate advanced security features, including transparent windows with portrait elements, metallic numerals, magnetic pseudo threads, shadow images, and iridescent patterns.