How is currency printed in India?
- One rupee and two rupee notes were first printed in India in the year 1917.
- The Reserve Bank of India has been empowered to issue the Government of India notes since 1935.
- Until 1947, currency notes with the image of King George VI were in circulation.
- In 1925, the British government established a government press at Nasik in Maharashtra.
- In 1974, a press was started in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. (Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd.)
- In the 1990s. Two more presses were started in Mysore (Karnataka) and Salboni in West Bengal to print bank notes.
- Though the RBI has the power to print up to ten-thousand-rupee notes, at present a maximum of up to rupees two thousand is printed.
| Securities Printing and Minting in India | ||
| Security Press | Station | Related to |
| India security Press (1925) | Nashik | Postal Material, Postal stamps etc. |
| Security Printing Press (1982) | Hyderabad | Union excise duty stamps |
| Currency Notes Press (1928) | Nashik | Bank notes from Rs.1 to Rs.100 |
| Bank Notes Press (1974) | Dewas (MP) | Bank note Rs.20,Rs.50, Rs. 100, Rs.500 |
| Modernized Currency Notes Press (1995) | Mysore (Karnataka) Salbani (West Bengal) | |
| Security Paper Mill (1967- 68) | Hoshangabad | Banks and currency notes paper |
| Indian Government mint | Mumbai, Hyderabad, Noida, Nasik | |
| Value | Dimensions (Rs) | Main Colour | Backside |
| 1 | 63 x 97 mm | Blue | Sagar Samrat oil rug |
| 5 | 63 x 117 mm | Green | Tractor |
| 10 | 63 x 123 mm | Chocolate brown | Konark Sun Temple |
| 20 | 63 x 147 mm | Red Orange | Mount Harriet, Port Blair |
| 50 | 66 x 135 mm | Fluorescent Blue | Hampi with Chariot |
| 100 | 73 x 157 mm | Purple Green and blue | Himalaya Mountains |
| 200 | 66 x 146 mm | Yellowish Orange | Sanchi Stupa |
| 500 | 66 x 150 mm | Olive green | Red Fort |
| 2000 | 66 x166 mm | Magenta | Mangalyaan |
Paper Money:
- The first rupee was introduced by Sher Shah Suri based on a ratio of 40 copper pieces (paisa) per rupee.
- The name was derived from the Sanskrit word Raupya, meaning silver.
- Each bank note has its amount written in 17 languages (English and Hindi on the front and 15 others on the back) illustrating the diversity of the country.