The Reserve Bank of India, through Notification RBI/2026-27/233, FIDD.CO.LBS.BC.No.09/02.08.001/2026-27 dated August 10, 2026, announced the assignment of Lead Bank responsibility for five newly created districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The districts, formed through Gazette Notification SG-LD-E-27042026-1712 dated April 27, 2026, are Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass. State Bank of India has been assigned Lead Bank responsibility for all five districts. The District Working Codes allotted are 02Z for Sham, 03B for Nubra, 03A for Changthang, 03C for Zanskar and 03D for Drass, with the notification specifying how the codes are to be read. RBI further stated that there is no change in the Lead Banks of the other districts in the UT of Ladakh.
Reserve Bank of India
Notifications
Formation of new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh – Assignment of Lead Bank Responsibility
RBI/2026-27/233
FIDD.CO.LBS.BC.No.09/02.08.001/2026-27 | Dated: August 10, 2026
The Chairman / Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
Lead Banks Concerned
Madam/ Dear Sir,
Formation of new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh –
Assignment of Lead Bank Responsibility
The Administration of Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh has notified formation of five new districts, viz., Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass in the UT of Ladakh vide Gazette Notification SG-LD-E-27042026-1712 dated April 27, 2026. Accordingly, it has been decided to designate the Lead Bank of the new districts as below:
| Sr. No | Newly created district | Lead Bank Responsibility assigned to | District Working Code allotted to new district |
| 1. | Sham | State Bank of India | 02Z (to be read as ‘Numeral Zero, Numeral Two and Alphabet Z’) |
| 2. | Nubra | State Bank of India | 03B (to be read as ‘Numeral Zero, Numeral Three and Alphabet B’) |
| 3. | Changthang | State Bank of India | 03A (to be read as ‘Numeral Zero, Numeral Three and Alphabet A’) |
| 4. | Zanskar | State Bank of India | 03C (to be read as ‘Numeral Zero, Numeral Three and Alphabet C’) |
| 5. | Drass | State Bank of India | 03D (to be read as ‘Numeral Zero, Numeral Three and Alphabet D’) |
2. There is no change in the Lead Banks of the other districts in the UT of Ladakh.
Yours faithfully,
(Nisha Nambiar)
Chief General Manager-in-Charge
