Top 5 highest FD rates — general depositors
Ranked by the bank's headline general-customer rate on the most common retail tenure band. The notes column flags the peak special-tenure rate when it's materially higher than the headline.
| # | Bank | Type | Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jana Small Finance Bank | SFB | 7.50 |
| 2 | Equitas Small Finance Bank | SFB | 7.25 |
| 3 | Suryoday Small Finance Bank | SFB | 7.25 |
| 4 | Ujjivan Small Finance Bank | SFB | 7.25 |
| 5 | Unity Small Finance Bank | SFB | 7.00 |
Top 5 highest FD rates — senior citizens
Standard +50 basis points premium over the general rate applies at virtually every bank and SFB; a few banks add a "super-senior" +75 bps tier for depositors 80+. Post Office Time Deposit is the exception — no senior-citizen premium.
| # | Bank | Type | Senior rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jana Small Finance Bank | SFB | 8.00 |
| 2 | Equitas Small Finance Bank | SFB | 7.75 |
| 3 | Suryoday Small Finance Bank | SFB | 7.75 |
| 4 | Ujjivan Small Finance Bank | SFB | 7.75 |
| 5 | Unity Small Finance Bank | SFB | 7.50 |
Highest by tenure
The highest rate often isn't on the longest tenure — the rate curve in Indian banks is rarely monotonic, and special-tenure buckets push the peak around. Top 3 by standard tenure band:
1-year FD
- 1. Jana Small Finance Bank (SFB)7.50%
- 2. Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB)7.25%
- 3. Suryoday Small Finance Bank (SFB)7.25%
3-year FD
- 1. Suryoday Small Finance Bank (SFB)8.10%
- 2. Jana Small Finance Bank (SFB)7.50%
- 3. Utkarsh Small Finance Bank (SFB)7.50%
5-year FD
- 1. Suryoday Small Finance Bank (SFB)8.00%
- 2. Jana Small Finance Bank (SFB)7.77%
- 3. Post Office Time Deposit (Post Office)7.50%
The 5-year leaderboard shows the SFB tilt clearly — Suryoday's 8.10% on its 5-year bucket and Jana's 7.77% on the same tenure beat every mainline bank's published 5-year rate by 150–200 bps. Post Office Time Deposit pays 7.50% on the 5-year with sovereign backing — the strongest "high rate plus low risk" combination on the table.
Special-tenure "festival" FDs — where the peak rates usually live
Most banks publish a standard tenure card (7 days to 10 years in conventional buckets) plus one or two special-tenure buckets that don't fit the standard pattern — 444 days, 555 days, 666 days, 888 days, 1001 days, 1500 days. These are pricing tools banks use to absorb tenure-mismatch risk at the edges of their asset-liability schedule, and they routinely pay 20–40 bps above the adjacent standard tenures.
Notable specials surfaced in our May 2026 rate scan:
- 444-day FD — multi-bank promotion. SBI Amrit Vrishti 6.45% (6.95% senior); PNB 6.60% (7.10% senior); Bank of Baroda 6.45%; Canara 6.50% (7.00% senior); IDBI 6.60% (7.10% senior, 7.25% super-senior).
- 888-day Equitas SFB special — 7.40% (7.90% senior); among the highest published rates in the system.
- 1001-day Unity SFB special — 7.50% (8.00% senior); rate leadership on the medium-long bucket.
- 1500-day Utkarsh SFB special — 7.50% (8.00% senior); 4-year+ tenure with senior premium intact.
The trade-off with a special tenure: less liquidity flexibility if you need to break the FD before maturity (premature withdrawal penalty 0.5–1.0% depending on bank), and the bucket may be withdrawn or repriced before your next FD ladder rolls in. Worth it when the rate premium over the adjacent standard tenure is meaningful (typically 25+ bps) and you can match the bucket length to a known liquidity need.
All FD rates compared
Full sortable comparison — click any column header to re-sort. For the broader "how to pick an FD" framing (segment overview, tenure strategy, TDS and Form 15G/15H), see the companion best FD interest rates guide .
| Bank | Type | Rate (%) | Senior (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jana Small Finance Bank | Small finance | 7.50 | 8.00 | Rates effective 11 Apr 2026 (retail). Range 3.50–7.77% general, 3.50–8.00% senior. Peak 7.77% on 5y (same for general and senior). Tax-saver 5y at 7.77%. DICGC insured up to ₹5 lakh. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| Equitas Small Finance Bank | Small finance | 7.25 | 7.75 | Rates revised Apr 2026. Range 3.50–7.40% general, 4.00–7.90% senior. Peak 7.40% (7.90% senior) on the 888-day special (annualised ~8.05%/8.30%). Senior +50 bps (not applicable on NRE/NRO). DICGC insured up to ₹5 lakh. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| Suryoday Small Finance Bank | Small finance | 7.25 | 7.75 | Rates effective 1 May 2026. Range 4.00–8.10% general, 4.20–8.25% senior. Peak 8.10% (8.25% senior) on the 5y FD. Tax-saver 7.90%. Aggregators occasionally cite 8.60% on a 3y bucket; bank's own page caps 5y at 8.10% — used the bank-card-aligned figure. Senior +50 bps (limited on some buckets). DICGC insured up to ₹5 lakh. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| Ujjivan Small Finance Bank | Small finance | 7.25 | 7.75 | Range 3.75–8.25% general, 4.25–8.75% senior across the full tenure spectrum. Medium-term (1–5y) 7.25–7.45% general / 7.75–7.95% senior. Min deposit ₹1,000. NO premature withdrawal penalty after 6 months. DICGC insured up to ₹5 lakh. |
| Unity Small Finance Bank | Small finance | 7.00 | 7.50 | Rates revised 9 Feb 2026. Range 4.00–7.50% general, 4.00–8.00% senior. Peak 7.50% (8.00% senior) on the 1001-day special. Senior +50 bps. DICGC insured up to ₹5 lakh. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| Utkarsh Small Finance Bank | Small finance | 7.00 | 7.50 | Rates effective 5 May 2026. Range 4.00–7.50% general, 4.50–8.00% senior. Peak 7.50% (8.00% senior) on the 1500-day / medium-long buckets. Senior +50 bps. DICGC insured up to ₹5 lakh. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| Post Office Time Deposit | Post office | 6.90 | 6.90 | Rates set quarterly by Ministry of Finance; current rates effective 1 Apr 2026 to 30 Jun 2026 (unchanged from previous quarter). 2y tenure = 7.00%. No senior-citizen premium on POTD — uniform rates for all. Premature closure only after 6 months; interest computed at PO Savings rate if closed before 1y, otherwise 1–2% reduction from applicable rate. Interest compounded quarterly, paid annually. Sovereign-backed — DICGC cap does not apply. |
| AU Small Finance Bank | Small finance | 6.90 | 7.40 | Rates effective 23 Apr 2026. Range 3.50–7.25% general, 4.00–7.75% senior. Tax-saver 5y FD 7.00%. Senior +50 bps. DICGC insured up to ₹5 lakh. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| Yes Bank | Private | 6.75 | 7.25 | Range 3.25–7.00% general, 3.75–7.75% senior. Senior +50 bps below 3y and +75 bps for 3y+. Min deposit ₹10,000. Premature withdrawal penalty 0.75% (waived for senior citizens). |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank | Private | 6.50 | 7.00 | Rates effective 11 Feb 2026 (deposits under ₹3 Cr). Range 2.75–6.70% general, up to 7.20% senior. Peak 6.70% (7.20% senior) on the 15m–under 2y bucket. Tax-saver FD 6.25%. Premature withdrawal penalty 0.5% (1% for amounts ≥ ₹5 Cr). |
| SBI | Public sector | 6.25 | 6.75 | Rates effective May 2026 for domestic FDs under ₹3 Cr. Peak 6.45% (6.95% senior) on the 444-day Amrit Vrishti special. Senior +50 bps standard. Premature withdrawal: 0.50% penalty on FDs up to ₹5 lakh, 1.0% for ₹5 lakh–₹1 Cr. |
| HDFC Bank | Private | 6.25 | 6.75 | Rates effective 7 March 2026 (deposits under ₹3 Cr). Range 2.75–6.50% general, up to 7.00% senior. Senior +50 bps plus extra +25 bps on the 5y1d–10y bucket. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| ICICI Bank | Private | 6.25 | 6.75 | Rates effective Feb 2026 (deposits under ₹3 Cr). Range 2.75–6.50% general, up to 7.10% senior. Senior +55 bps on the 15–18 month special bucket. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0% for deposits ≥ ₹5 lakh (0.5% below). |
| Axis Bank | Private | 6.25 | 6.75 | Rates effective 1 May 2026 (deposits under ₹3 Cr). Range 3.00–6.60% general, 3.50–7.35% senior. Tax-saver FD 6.45%. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| PNB | Public sector | 6.25 | 6.75 | Rates revised 24 Feb 2026 / effective 1 Feb 2026. Range 3.00–6.40% general, 3.50–6.90% senior. Peak 6.60% (7.10% senior) on the 444-day special. Aggregators occasionally cite a higher 7.45% rate for the 3–5y band; bank's own card caps at 6.40% — used the bank-card-aligned figure. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0% (waived above 5y for amounts under ₹5 lakh). |
| Bank of India | Public sector | 6.25 | 6.75 | Rates as of May 2026. Range 3.00–6.60% general, 3.00–7.10% senior. Peak 6.70% (7.20% senior) on the 450-day special. Senior +50 bps, super-senior +65 bps on tenures ≥ 6 months. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| IDBI Bank | Public sector | 6.25 | 6.75 | Range 3.00–6.50% general, 3.50–7.00% senior. Peak 6.60% (7.10% senior, 7.25% super-senior) on the 444-day special. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| Canara Bank | Public sector | 6.25 | 6.75 | Rates effective 17 March 2026. Range 3.00–6.50% general, 3.00–7.00% senior. Peak 6.50% (7.00% senior) on the 444-day special. Senior +50 bps on tenures 180 days+. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0%. |
| Bank of Baroda | Public sector | 6.10 | 6.60 | Rates revised 1 May 2026. Range 3.50–6.45% general, 4.00–7.00% senior. Peak 6.45% on the 444-day special. Premature withdrawal penalty 1.0% for retail deposits. |
Rates verified on 2026-05-17. Source: Bank websites + aggregator FD rate compilations (Paisabazaar, Policybazaar, Bankbazaar, Stablemoney, Upstox); researched 2026-05-17. Refresh next: 2026-08-17.. Bank rates change frequently — confirm on the bank's official page before applying or depositing.
The DICGC ₹5 lakh cap on SFB FDs
The highest rates on the table are almost all at Small Finance Banks. The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation insures bank deposits up to ₹5 lakh per depositor per bank, with the cap applying to the combined balance across all account types at that bank (savings + current + FD + RD together). SFB deposits get the same DICGC coverage as mainline banks — but the cap matters more in practice at SFBs because of the rate premium.
Two practical workarounds for amounts above ₹5 lakh:
- Split across multiple SFBs. ₹5 lakh in Ujjivan, ₹5 lakh in Suryoday, ₹5 lakh in Jana — each FD stays within its bank's individual DICGC limit and the combined ₹15 lakh is fully insured.
- Joint-holder permutations within a single SFB. A "Self + Spouse" FD and a "Spouse + Self" FD are treated as two distinct depositor entities for DICGC purposes; each is independently insured to ₹5 lakh at the same bank.
For amounts above ~₹15–20 lakh where these splits get operationally awkward, sovereign-backed instruments — Post Office Time Deposit (7.50% on 5y), RBI Savings (Floating Rate) Bonds, GSec direct via RBI Retail Direct — sit outside the DICGC framework with no per-bank cap. The Post Office 5-year FD is the cleanest "high rate plus sovereign backing" combination on the table.
What "highest rate" doesn't capture
Three things the headline rate hides that affect your realised return:
- Premature withdrawal penalty. Standard 1.0% at most SFBs; SBI 0.5%; Ujjivan SFB and Yes Bank (seniors) waive it. If there's any chance you'll break the FD before maturity, the realised rate after penalty matters more than the headline.
- TDS at 10% when annual interest crosses ₹40,000 general / ₹50,000 senior. Creditable on filing, but it reduces in-year cash flow. Submit Form 15G (under 60) or 15H (60+) if total income is below the exemption limit — see the Form 15G/15H guide.
- Tax slab. FD interest is taxed at your marginal slab rate; a 30%-bracket taxpayer earning 8.10% pre-tax keeps 5.67% after tax — comparable to PPF (7.10% tax-free) and a touch below ELSS expected returns. The rate-stack story changes once you factor post-tax.
To project the maturity value and total interest on any combination of bank, rate, and tenure, use the FD calculator (quarterly compounding, the Indian regulatory default).