These actions are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, April 26, 2025: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by separate orders in April 2025; imposed monetary penalties on 2 PSU banks and one NBFC. The RBI has penalized Indian Overseas Bank (Rs63.60 lakh); Indian Bank (Rs1,61,40,000) and Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services (Rs71.30 lakh). These actions against each of these 3 entities, are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance.
1 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated April 17, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs63.60 lakh (Rupees Sixty three lakh sixty thousand only) on Indian Overseas Bank (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Credit Flow to Agriculture- Collateral free agricultural loans’ and ‘Lending to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 51(1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The Statutory Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation (ISE 2023) 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 directions.
After considering the bank’s reply to the notice, additional submissions made by it 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 April 08, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs1,61,40,000 (Rupees One crore sixty one lakh forty thousand only) on Indian Bank (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 26A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act) and non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Interest Rate on Advances’, ‘Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme’ and ‘Lending to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 51(1) of the BR Act.
The statutory Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation (ISE 2023) of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on the supervisory findings of contraventions of the provisions of the BR Act and 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 directions.
After considering the bank’s reply to the notice, additional submissions made by it and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
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 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.
3 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated April 21, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs71.30 lakh (Rupees Seventy One Lakh Thirty Thousand only) on Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (the company) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the ‘Non-Banking Financial Company - Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Company and Deposit taking Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016’ and ‘Reserve Bank of India (Know Your Customer (KYC)) Directions, 2016’ 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, additional submissions made by it 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 did not disclose the processing fees and other charges in certain loan application forms;
The company did not furnish copies of loan agreements and did not convey details of the loans in the sanction letters to certain borrowers;
The company did not give a final chance to certain borrowers to repay the loans, before the sale / auction of vehicles; and
The company allotted multiple customer identification codes to certain customers, instead of a Unique Customer Identification Code (UCIC) for each individual customer.
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.
