In our previous two FIG Papers of PA/PG Framework (here) and (here), we shared our key learnings in connection with operations of payment aggregator and payment gateway guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”) on March 17, 2020 (as amended from time to time) (“PA/PG Guidelines”).Continue Reading FIG Paper (No 35- Payments Series 3)– The new Draft Directions for Regulations of Payment Aggregator
Indian regulators in recent times have shown a keen interest in monitoring the intersection between data, information technology, and cybersecurity with regulated entities—more so in relation to Non-Banking Financial Companies (“NBFCs”) and ‘fintechs’. With the expected enforcement of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDP Act”), and the promulgation of its rules, it becomes imperative for NBFCs and fintechs to map their journey of compliance from legal and regulatory perspectives.Continue Reading FIG Paper (No. 34 – Data Law Series 5) Balancing Sectoral Regulation and DPDP Act Compliance by NBFCs & Fintechs
The Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”) issued the draft Master Direction – Reserve Bank of India (Managing Risks and Code of Conduct in Outsourcing of Financial Services) Directions, 2023 (“Draft MD”), on October 26, 2023. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the digitisation of financial services globally, financial institutions started becoming increasingly dependent on their service partners and agents to reduce costs and avail expertise not available internally.Continue Reading FIG Paper (No. 32 – Series 1): Outsourcing of Financial Services: Harmonising the Law and Looking Ahead
While the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (“IBC”) provides for insolvency resolution and liquidation of ‘corporate persons’, it excludes ‘financial service provider’ (“FSP(s)”) from the said provision. The Central Government, pursuant to its powers under Section 227 of IBC, had notified Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Insolvency and Liquidation Proceedings of Financial Service Providers and Application to Adjudicating Authority) Rules, 2019 (“FSP Rules”) for resolving specified non-banking financial companies (“Specified NBFCs”) registered with the Reserve Bank of India.[1]Continue Reading Stock Broker is a Financial Service Provider – The NCLAT ruling may offer respite
The Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”) recently issued instructions on practices to be adopted for charging penal interest/ charges on loans, vide its notification dated August 18, 2023, titled ‘Fair Lending Practice – Penal Charges in Loan Accounts’ (“Circular”).Continue Reading Fair lending practices on levy of penal charges
On June 20, 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) clarified to authorised non-bank prepaid payment instrument (PPI) issuers that PPIs may not be loaded from credit lines, and any such practice should be stopped immediately.Continue Reading FIG Paper (No. 13) – RBI guidance on loading of PPIs through credit lines
The end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 has come bearing gifts for the financial technology (“Fintech”) sector particularly for the lending space. The Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”) had amended the Credit Information Companies Regulations, 2006 (“Regulations”) on November 10, 2021 vide the Credit Information Companies (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (“Amendment”)[1] – the first amendment since 2017 – expanding the scope of entities falling within the definition of ‘specified users’ under Regulation 3 to include “an entity engaged in the processing of information, for the support or benefit of credit institutions, and satisfying the criteria laid down by the Reserve Bank from time to time.”Continue Reading FIG Paper (No. 9) – RBI Press Release on ‘Specified Users’ – New Year Relief for Fintech Companies
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines on February 01, 2006, in relation to securitisation of standard assets by banks, All India Term-Lending and Refinancing Institutions and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). Securitisation was defined as the process by which assets are sold to bankruptcy remote special purpose vehicle (SPV) in return for immediate cash flow, wherein the cash flows from the underlying pool of assets are used to service the securities issued by the SPV[1]. The criteria for ‘true sale’ as well as the policy on provision of credit enhancement facilities, liquidity facilities and accounting treatment of such transactions was also set out. The guidelines did not separately deal with direct assignment of assets.Continue Reading A new regime for Securitisation
While the health crisis has brought the country to its knees, the fatal blow seems to be coming our way from the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The exposure of the severely-stressed para banking industry to risky segments in these times has made it even more vulnerable to an economic slowdown.[1] With its asset quality deteriorating at an increasing rate, the liquidity in para banking industry has been squeezed off to its last drops.
The impact of the liquidity crisis across various classes of non-banking financial companies (“NBFCs”) may be analysed vis-à-vis the exposure it has towards the borrower segments whose economic activities have been severely impacted. With the economic and consumption activities a bust in sectors such as real estate and micro-finance, the NBFCs with loan exposures in the said sectors will be hit the worst in the wave of this global pandemic. The increasing loan losses and inaccessibility to new capital is likely to exacerbate the liquidity stress.
Continue Reading Battling Covid-19 and Liquidity– The Twin Crisis of NBFC sector
