. New Delhi, Delhi, India
Five years since demonetisation, Indian economy has more cash in circulation
The Indian government changed its Rs 500 denomination note after demonetising the old Rs 500 note in 2016 (Photo Credit: Unsplash)
- India demonetised two high-value currency notes on November 8, 2016
- Monday marks five years of the exercise
- Demonetisation was carried out to drain cash in the system and encourage digital payments
Demonetisation was Narendra Modi-led government’s big move to counter black money back on November 8, 2016. Five years since, currency notes in circulation in value terms have increased 64% till October 29, 2021. Notes in circulation (NIC) went up from Rs 17.74 lakh crore on November 4, 2016 (four days prior to demonetisation) to Rs 29.17 lakh crore till the end of October, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
When demonetisation was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was said that removing high-value currency notes would deal a death blow on corruption and also usher in larger adoption of digital payments. While digital payments have been on the rise over the last five years, demonetisation does not seem to have impacted cash transactions much.
A significant increase in cash in circulation occurred over the last year. Notes in circulation went up by Rs 2,28,964 crore in 2021 from Rs 26.88 lakh crore on October 30, 2020. The year-on-year increase on October 30, 2020 was Rs 4,57,059 crore. On November 1, 2019, the year-on-year increase was Rs 2,84,451 crore, according to RBI data.
Data show value of bank notes increased by 16.8% and volume of bank notes rose by 7.2% in 2020–21. In 2019–20, the value and volume of bank notes increased by 14.7% and 6.6% respectively.
On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes over a televised address at 8 pm. Making the announcement, PM Modi said, “Which honest citizen would not be pained by reports of crores worth of currency notes stashed under the bed of government officers? Or by reports of cash found in gunny bags?”
Aimed to cull out unaccounted cash, the demonetisation exercise was also seen as a nudge towards digital payments. “The magnitude of cash in circulation is directly linked to the level of corruption. Inflation becomes worse through the deployment of cash earned in corrupt ways,” the PM had said in 2016.