These actions on 3 entities are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, February 21, 2025: The RBI, by separate orders, in February 2025, has imposed a monetary penalty on each of 3 entities. 1 bank and 2 NBFCs have been fined by the regulator. The RBI has imposed a monetary penalty on Citibank, Asirvad Micro Finance and JM Financial Home Loans. These actions on the concerned entities are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance, as per the press releases issued by the RBI today.
1 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated February 20, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 39.00 lakh (Rupees Thirty nine lakh only) on Citibank N.A. (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Large Exposures Framework’ and ‘Furnishing of Credit Information to Credit Information Companies (CICs). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47 A(1)(c) read with Section 46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and Section 25(1)(iii) read with Section 23(4) of the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005.
The Statutory Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said RBI directions.
After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
2 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated February 20, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs6.20 lakh (Rupees Six Lakh Twenty Thousand only) on Asirvad Micro Finance Limited (the company) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the ‘Master Direction - Reserve Bank of India (Regulatory Framework for Microfinance Loans) Directions, 2022’, and ‘Appointment of Internal Ombudsman by Non-Banking Financial Companies’ issued by RBI. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of Section 58G read with clause (aa) of sub-section (5) of Section 58B of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.
After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the company were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The company failed to report the household income of certain borrowers to Credit Information Companies;
The company failed to provide factsheets to certain gold loan customers; and
The company failed to establish a system of auto-escalation of all complaints that were partly or wholly rejected by its internal grievance redress mechanism to the Internal Ombudsman for a final decision.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.
3 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated February 17, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs1.50 lakh (Rupees One lakh fifty thousand only) on JM Financial Home Loans Limited (the company) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the ‘Non-Banking Financial Company - Housing Finance Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2021’ issued by RBI. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 52A of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by the National Housing Bank with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2023. Based on the supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.
After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The company failed to disclose, the approach for gradation of risk and rationale for charging different rate of interest to different categories of borrowers, to its customers in the application forms and also did not communicate the same explicitly in the sanction letters.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.
