Businesses and individuals across India are voicing frustration over unexpected delays in cheque clearance, even ten days after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched its new same-day cheque clearing system on October 4, 2025.

What was once a two- to three-day process is now taking five to seven working days, disrupting financial operations for both enterprises and consumers. According to Rachakonda Ravi Kumar, President of the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI), many MSMEs continue to rely on cheques for daily transactions, and delays could hurt their credit scores if cheques bounce due to technical issues.

Bank officials from SBI, Canara Bank, and Union Bank of India admitted to software glitches preventing smooth implementation. “Some systems are not yet configured for the new continuous clearing process,” said a senior PSU bank official in Delhi.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) acknowledged initial “teething issues” but said over 1.49 crore instruments worth ₹8.49 lakh crore have already been processed. NPCI assured that most issues have been resolved and that full stability was restored as of October 13.

Industry leaders like B.R. Ganesh Rao, President of KASSIA, warned that the delays are “choking cash flows and stalling production” for MSMEs, especially in semi-urban and rural areas