<h1>Branch licensing flexibility allows banks to open branches without prior approval, subject to rural minimums and distribution limits.</h1> Reserve Bank of India authorized domestic Scheduled Commercial Banks, including Public Sector Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks), to open branches nationwide without prior RBI approval, subject to a minimum rural branch opening requirement and a restriction capping Tier 1 branch openings relative to Tier 2-6 and North Eastern/Sikkim centres; Public Sector Banks' recent branch opening figures and SBI survey outcomes under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana report mixed viability results for proposed village branches.