<h1>External Commercial Borrowings policy relaxed to allow rupee and foreign currency expenditure under the automatic route and broaden eligible uses.</h1> ECB policy now permits specified borrowings under the Automatic Route for rupee and foreign currency expenditure for permissible end uses, removes a prior minimum maturity requirement for large rupee infrastructure capital expenditure within the threshold, and recognises telecom spectrum payments as an eligible end use. Borrowers may hold proceeds offshore in prescribed instruments, with overseas bank affiliates, or remit to rupee accounts pending utilisation, subject to prohibitions on capital market, real estate and inter corporate lending. Authorities have raised and will review all in cost ceilings by maturity band, instituted monitoring of SME unhedged forex exposures, and will operationalise the credit enhancement window.