What is AD Bank?
An AD bank is a bank that the Reserve Bank of India has authorised to deal in foreign exchange. In export conversations, it means an Authorised Dealer Category-I bank, which covers almost every large commercial bank in India. For a services exporter, the AD bank is normally the bank where the foreign money lands, and it is the bank that handles your EDF, enters it into EDPMS and closes the entry once you are paid.
Why it matters for exporters
Under the 2026 export regulations, if you export services other than software and are not in an SEZ, you submit the EDF to your AD bank. Software exporters outside an SEZ can choose the AD bank or STPI, since AD banks are now "specified authorities" on par with STPI. The AD bank must upload your EDF into EDPMS within 5 working days, and it can accept a delayed EDF for reasonable cause or extend the realisation period on a reasoned request.
Each AD bank publishes its own policy for accepting EDFs (Regulation 19), so the channel may be a branch counter, an email address or a trade portal. Ask your branch or relationship manager rather than assuming. Our bank-specific EDF pages help you prepare the form whichever bank you use.
Example
Ridgeview Consulting LLP receives payments into its current account at a private bank and also holds a savings account at a public sector bank that never sees foreign money. Its AD bank for EDF purposes is the private bank, because that is where the export proceeds arrive.
Common confusion
Using several banks raises the question of which one gets the EDF. Generally it is the bank through which the money for those invoices is received, but confirm with your banks. See using multiple banks for exports.