Did You Know? India Prints Its Currency Notes in Only 4 Cities — Here's Where
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Shaurya Thakur 2026-04-03 Did You Know, General Knowledge 29
You carry rupee notes every single day. But have you ever stopped to wonder — where exactly are these notes printed? India is a country of 140 crore people, yet all the currency notes in circulation come from just four cities. Not Delhi. Not Mumbai. Not even the city where the RBI headquarters sits.
Here is the full story.
Who Decides How Many Notes Get Printed?
Before we get to the cities, let us understand who is in charge. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has the sole right to issue currency notes in India under Section 22 of the RBI Act, 1934. Every year, the RBI estimates how many notes of each denomination are needed — based on GDP growth, inflation, and digital transaction trends — and then places orders with the printing presses.
The actual printing, however, is done by two organisations:
- SPMCIL — Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (owned by the Government of India)
- BRBNMPL — Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of RBI)
Each organisation runs two printing presses — making four in total.
The 4 Cities Where Your Money Is Printed
|
S. No.
|
City
|
State
|
Managed
By
|
|
1
|
Nashik
|
Maharashtra
|
SPMCIL
|
|
2
|
Dewas
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
SPMCIL
|
|
3
|
Mysuru
|
Karnataka
|
BRBNMPL
|
|
4
|
Salboni
|
West Bengal
|
BRBNMPL
|
A Closer Look at Each City
- Nashik, Maharashtra Nashik is home to the Currency Note Press (CNP), one of India's oldest printing facilities. It was established in 1928 — making it the first currency printing press in independent India. Nashik also houses the India Security Press, which prints passports, stamps, and court documents.
- Dewas, Madhya Pradesh The Bank Note Press (BNP) in Dewas is a high-security facility that prints higher denomination notes. It also has its own ink factory that produces special security inks used in currency printing — a detail most people never know about.
- Mysuru, Karnataka Mysuru's press is operated by BRBNMPL, the RBI's own subsidiary. It is one of the most modern currency printing facilities in Asia and handles a significant share of India's total note production.
- Salboni, West Bengal Located in Paschim Medinipur district, Salboni is the newest of the four presses. It was set up to ensure that eastern India has its own printing facility, reducing dependence on the other three locations.
Bonus Fact — Coins Are Different!
While notes are printed in these 4 cities, coins are minted in a completely different set of 4 cities:
Mint Location
Mumbai
Kolkata
Hyderabad
Noida
So the next time you have a coin in your hand, flip it over — you will find a small symbol on it that tells you which mint it came from.
Why Only 4 Cities?
Currency printing is one of the most security-sensitive operations in any country. The fewer the locations, the easier it is to:
- Maintain strict security and surveillance
- Control the supply of notes entering circulation
- Prevent counterfeiting at the source
- Ensure quality consistency across all denominations
Each press is surrounded by high security zones, and the movement of printed notes to RBI offices across India is done under heavy guard.
One More Thing You Did Not Know
The paper used to print Indian currency notes is not made in just any paper mill. It comes primarily from the Security Paper Mill in Narmadapuram (formerly Hoshangabad), Madhya Pradesh — a facility that produces the special watermarked paper on which your rupee notes are printed. Without this paper, the printing presses cannot function.
Quick Recap
- India has 4 currency note printing presses
- Nashik and Dewas are run by SPMCIL (Government of India)
- Mysuru and Salboni are run by BRBNMPL (RBI subsidiary)
- Coins are minted separately in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Noida
- The special paper for notes comes from Narmadapuram, MP
Next time someone asks you where Indian money comes from — you know exactly what to say.
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