The RBI's action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, March 26, 2025: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by separate orders all dated March 24, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty on 2 banks and 1 NBFC. RBI has penalized HDFC Bank (Rs75 Lakh), Punjab & Sind Bank (Rs68.20 lakh) And KLM Axiva Finvest (Rs10 Lakh) due to their respective deficiencies in regulatory compliance.
1 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated March 24, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs75.00 lakh (Rupees Seventy Five Lakh only) on HDFC Bank Limited (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Section 46(4)(i) 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 and additional submissions made by it, RBI found, inter alia, 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.
2 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated March 24, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs68.20 lakh (Rupees Sixty Eight Lakh Twenty Thousand only) on Punjab & Sind Bank (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Creation of a Central Repository of Large Common Exposures – Across Banks’ read with ‘Central Repository of lnformation on Large Credits (CRlLC) – Revision in Reporting’ and ‘Financial Inclusion - Access to Banking Services – Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA)’. 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 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.
3 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated March 24, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 10 lakh (Rupees Ten Lakh only) on KLM Axiva Finvest Limited (the company) for non-compliance with requirements relating to ‘Declaration of dividends’ contained in the RBI directions on ‘Reserve Bank of India (Non-Banking Financial Company – Scale Based Regulation) Directions, 2023’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of 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 correspondence pertaining to the intimation of declaration of an interim dividend revealed, inter alia, non-compliance with RBI directions. Based on the same, 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 that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty.
The company declared a dividend for the financial year 2023-24, despite not meeting the minimum prudential requirements in each of the last three financial years.
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.
