MUMBAI – In a significant policy change, ICICI Bank has hiked the minimum average balance (MAB) required for savings accounts, effective August 1, 2025. The new rules, which apply to all new accounts opened from this date, have sparked a debate on social media, with many criticizing the move as a barrier for lower- and middle-income customers.
According to the new structure, the MAB for savings accounts has been revised as follows:
Metro and Urban Areas: The requirement has increased to ₹50,000, a steep jump from the previous ₹10,000.
Semi-Urban Areas: The MAB is now ₹25,000, up from ₹5,000.
Rural Areas: The minimum balance has been raised to ₹10,000 from ₹2,500.
The MAB is calculated as the average of the day-end balances in an account over