MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia’s dominant lender on Wednesday mentioned people may now open accounts in Indian rupees, increasing the vary of foreign currency out there as Moscow strives to cut back dependency on the U.S. greenback and euro.

“As Sberbank has highlighted, the financial institution helps the pattern of de-dollarisation and always will increase the variety of foreign currency out there to purchasers,” Sberbank mentioned in an announcement.

Sberbank has greater than 100 million retail purchasers and already provides deposits in China’s yuan and UAE dirhams. Rupee accounts can be out there from Wednesday, it mentioned.

In a separate assertion, Sberbank mentioned it will increase charges on dirham deposits by 100 foundation factors for a six-week interval from Wednesday.

The financial institution’s finance chief mentioned earlier that Sberbank will difficulty bonds in this 12 months if a possibility arises and can proceed borrowing in roubles to drive portfolio progress.

Rival VTB on Wednesday mentioned yuan financial savings would make up a couple of quarter of Russia’s total overseas change portfolio by end-2023, rising to 45% in 2024 and accounting for 2 thirds in 2025.

“It’s the Chinese language foreign money that right now acts as the primary various, in reality, to the departing greenback and euro and forces banks to compete extra actively for purchasers,” Deputy President-Chairman of VTB’s administration board Anatoly Pechatnikov mentioned.

“Different delicate currencies are nonetheless solely searching for their shoppers in Russia, appearing as area of interest provides,” he added.