The company has also developed a pool of more than 2,000 Debt Recovery Agent (DRA)–certified personnel
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, 12 January 2026: BLS E-Services Ltd, a leading digital service provider, has strengthened its financial inclusion ecosystem with over 10,000 Business Correspondent (BC) agents trained and certified by the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (IIBF), in line with the Reserve Bank of India’s enhanced regulatory framework for BC operations.
The company has also developed a pool of more than 2,000 Debt Recovery Agent (DRA)–certified personnel, enabling banks and NBFCs to undertake recovery operations through trained, compliant and ethically guided agents.
The company has also developed a pool of more than 2,000 Debt Recovery Agent (DRA)–certified personnel, enabling banks and NBFCs to undertake recovery operations through trained, compliant and ethically guided agents.
The development assumes importance as the RBI, effective April 2024, mandated compulsory training for BC Agents prior to appearing for the BC Certification Examination. Under the revised norms, BC candidates must complete 28 hours of training for Basic Certification and 42 hours for Advanced Certification, with only trained candidates being eligible to appear for the examination.
Commenting on the development, Mr Lokanath Panda, Chief Operating Officer, BLS E-Services, said,“As regulatory expectations evolve, the focus is clearly shifting towards building a well-trained, accountable and customer-sensitive last-mile financial workforce. At BLS E-Services, we see certification and structured training not as a compliance requirement alone, but as a foundational element to strengthening trust between banks and citizens.”
On the recovery side, the Debt Recovery Agent certification, designed by the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) in consultation with IIBF, mandates 50 to 100 hours of structured training, with emphasis on legal procedures, banking operations, responsible collection practices and soft-skill development. RBI has advised banks and NBFCs to engage only certified recovery personnel within a stipulated timeframe.
“The DRA framework brings much-needed standardisation to recovery practices by combining legal knowledge with interpersonal skills. This helps ensure that recovery processes remain transparent, respectful and aligned with regulatory intent,” Panda added.
Business Correspondents serve as the primary interface between formal banking institutions and customers, particularly in semi-urban and rural India. With increased regulatory emphasis on training, certification and ethical conduct, BLS E-Services’ certified agent base reflects the broader transformation underway in India’s financial inclusion and banking outreach landscape.
