Category: News

The report brings to the spotlight such shortcomings while providing a better framework for the sector. The relevant points from the report are explored below to create a better understanding of the proposal and the effect it can have on the industry.

Distinction Between LSPs and BSLs

There is a clear distinction between Loan Service Providers(LSPs) and Balance Sheet Lenders(BSLs). LSPs can be applications that provide borrowing options for the customers. They certainly need not be directly regulated but do require to partner with only regulated financial entities that can provide the services. BSLs on the other hand, provide loans and securely take credit risks. They are always regulated. This distinction allows LSPs to manage the front-end experience while BSLs manage regulatory compliance and risk.

A Ban On FLDG

First Loss Default Guarantee or FLDG instrument allows unregulated entities to offer loans to customers and take credit risk. The report strongly suggests against this backdoor entry. This is challenging to many new-age lenders as their processes are oriented around shadow lending. Additionally, neo-banking and DeFi(decentralized finance) models are also included in this section for a modal check. Fundamentally, the report directs that only regulated entities should hold taking credit risk options.

Eliminate Regulatory Arbitrage

The report advises to deem all products involved with credit risk as lending products and eliminate regulatory arbitrage. For example, most BNPL(Buy Now Pay Later) providers consider this option, not as a loan, and hence do not have apt KYC processing. They have no relation with the credit bureau.

Safety Of The Customer

In certain cases, the charges and rates can be as high as 100%(The normal being 40-45%). The working group recommends several actions to ensure consumer protection from such practices. These recommendations include:

• Include all interests and charges as transparent APR(Annual Percentage Rate).
• STCC(Short Term Consumer Credit)- must follow appropriate guidelines to prevent usurious charge rates.
• Restrict very short-term loans with no instalments that are high risk.
• Restrict Refinancing and over-indebtedness.

Regulated entities must also ensure fair treatment of borrowers by the LSPs involved, especially in the collection practices. All coercive behaviour is avoided to ensure confident customers and a healthy ecosystem.

Data Privacy

The consumer and not the entity is the owner of the data. All crucial lending decisions require explicit consent from customers for using their data. This extends to even any e-commerce platform which uses consumer data for underwriting decisions. This helps enhance security and overall data protection while maintaining consumer trust.

SRO And DIGITA

The report advises RBI to create a Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) to govern activities and frame standards. It also recommends creating DIGITA(Digital Trust of India Agency). DIGITA will determine the minimum requirements and standards to verify compliance. If entities are not approved by DIGITA, they will be deemed non-compliant.

What Does This Mean For The Industry And You?

The initiatives outlined by the working group helps create a balanced framework that encourages innovation while protecting its consumers and minimizing financial risks in the system. This will help improve the dynamics in the ecosystem rendering growth in the industry. There are many venues that require clarifications and dialogue, but this preliminary report is a step in the right direction to achieve a more sustainable and secure environment. This ensures that the future of digital India is now… And it’s happening.

With the blessing of better lending ecosystems and safer financial environments comes the burden of stricter regulations and rigid compliance guidelines. If not careful, your enterprises can get affected and suspended due to bureaucratic complications. You can avoid this by availing reliable service providers for all your regulatory requirements. But how do you choose a good one? Opt one that gives you quick, safe, and customizable solutions. It should have a track record of good services and lots of options. This is why Signzy is the right choice for you. We can handle all your needs ranging from Video KYC to complete Onboarding Processes.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

The new Prompt Corrective Action(PCA) framework set forth by RBI for troubled NBFCs ensures market discipline and resilience of their financial health. In the past, PCAs were exclusive to banks. But, because many major NBFCs like SREI Group, IL&FS, DHFL, and Reliance Capital have run into financial crises over the past couple of years, this move comes at an apt time. The PCA framework targets to strengthen the supervisory tools from October 1, 2022. This will be based on the NBFCs’ financial position after March 31, 2022.

The primary objective of the PCA or Prompt Corrective Action framework is oriented and much mandated. It enables supervisory intervention at the precise and appropriate time, mandating the supervised entity to properly initiate and implement remedial measures. This is done to restore the supervised entity’s financial health in case of considerable deterioration. The PCA framework also acts as a tool for effective and strict market discipline maintenance.

Which are the entities included?

Previously, The PCA Framework applied to all banks operating in India. This includes foreign banks operating through subsidiaries or branches based on breach of risk thresholds of identified indicators. Now, via the RBI Notification dated December 14, 2021, It will also be applicable for all deposit-taking NBFCs, and other large NBFCs that position on the middle, upper, and top-most levels of the scale-based regulation for NBFCs of the RBI.

This includes  Investment and Credit Companies, Core Investment Companies (CICs), Infrastructure Debt Funds, Infrastructure Finance Companies, Microfinance Institutions, and Factors. But it excludes NBFCs not accepting Public money, Government companies, and Housing Finance companies. This would, therefore, apply to a smaller percentage of 10,000 NBFCs, most of which would be excluded from such tight regulatory purview as of now, till they grow up in size

What Is The PCA Framework

An NBFC will be placed under the PCA framework based on the Supervisory Assessment made by the RBI and/or the audited Annual Financial Results. However, the RBI can impose PCA on any NBFC(if they deem it fit) during a year.

For NBFCs-D and NBFCs-ND, indicators to be tracked would be Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR), Tier I Capital Ratio (*refer to footnotes for definitions), and Net NPA Ratio (NNPA). For CICs, indicators that need to be tracked would be ANW/ARW(Adjusted Net Worth/Aggregate Risk-Weighted Assets), NNPA, and Leverage Ratio. The framework defines 3 risk levels with varying seriousness, criteria to enter either of these risk thresholds and RBI mandated controls (a summary of these is explained in the below table)

For further understanding, Capital Adequacy Ratio (or CRAR) is the ratio of the total capital(tier 1 and tier 2) and risk-weighted assets. For example, a house loan with strong collateral is inherently less risky than a loan given on a letter of credit and hence might need a higher capital cover in case it goes bad. This ratio is used to protect depositors. It also improves the efficiency and stability of financial systems around the world. Tier 1 capital is core capital. It consists of equity capital, intangible asset, ordinary share capital, and audited revenue reserves. Tier-1 capital absorbs losses and doesn’t require a bank to stop operations. Tier 2 capital is made of unaudited retained earnings, unaudited reserves, and general loss reserves. This capital absorbs losses in the event of any company entirely winding up or liquidating. 

 

What is the PCA framework’s impact?

These tight regulations would force the NBFCs to act in the best interest of public investors and make them better handle their financial books and asset quality. This, in turn, will make a provision of timely intervention to avoid a total wind-up and loss of money for equity holders and depositors. These steps are excellent for the current financial ecosystem as they provide a check on any company faltering in its functions. Prima facie, this might seem a bit too stringent, but in the long run, this will ensure better safety of both the customers as well as the companies.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform that is redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering totally customizable workflows. It gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling 10 million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks.  It works with over 240+ FIs globally including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a strong global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and it has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

The Reserve Bank of India withdrew over 100 previously issued circulars citing redundancy of their effects in current times on RRA Recommendation.

The move comes as a result of strong recommendations for the initiative from The Regulations Review Authority. This will reduce friction in financial transactions and other interactions. While this is a boost for the economy as a whole, prima facies, it does call for closer scrutiny to evaluate its actual extend.

The withdrawn circulars primarily focus norms concerning standards of:

• Foreign Portfolio Investors and their Foreign Investments in India
• RTGS- Real Time Gross Settlement
• KYC- Know Your Customer
• AML- Anti-Money Laundering
• CFT-Combating of Financing Terrorism

RBI had set up Regulations Review Authority(RRA 2.0) in April 2021. The  RRA 2.0’s primary objective is reviewing regulatory advice and instructions while ensuring to identify and remove duplicate or redundant directives. It also streamlines reporting structure to decrease the compliance burden on REs(Regulated Entities). The RRA makes sure to revoke obsolete instructions while actively taking the effort to efface paper-based returns submissions.

The RRA has engaged in extensive communication and consultations with internal and external stakeholders in the industry. It conducted a review to simplify and easily implement supervisory and regulatory directives with these parties.

Mr. Swaminathan J, MD of the State Bank of India holds the chairmanship for the prime advisory group for RRA. The group itself was formed by the RRA shortly following its own constitution.

“The RRA has been engaging in extensive consultations with both – internal as well as external stakeholders, on review of the regulatory and supervisory instructions for their simplification and ease of implementation. Based on these consultations and the suggestions of the Advisory Group, the RRA has recommended withdrawal of 150 circulars in the first tranche of recommendations,” the RBI issued a statement.

With many of the surfeit roadblocks in financial interactions and transactions removed, this is a good time for companies and entities to take new initiatives. It is prime time for them to completely digitize and optimize their processes in the financial sphere.  Even the RRA promotes paperless submissions for applications and returns.

But the initial concern they have is to find trustable service providers for regulatory technology. Good resources, products, and services need to be available at a reasonable cost. Signzy can get you exactly that. We emphasize delivering the best regulatory and other financial technology services for you at state-of-the-art standards.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

India’s aspirations for developing an entrepreneur-friendly economy largely depend on provisions of financial assistance for promising ventures. The major hurdle a new vendor seeking to establish his business finds in the country is mostly in the form of financial challenges. Even for the working community, financial aids and loans are very necessary solutions. That’s why 77% of working individuals in India rely on personal loans to merely make ends meet.

Most of these loans are for medical emergencies, MSME expenses, or family needs that may include education, weddings, and home renovations. The majority of the rural population does not have proper access to avail loans at banks. Hence, they seek private firms and local lenders.

As a resolution to the problem, RBI approves co-lending initiatives. Banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies(NBFCs) are exploring such venues, to generate a synergistic opportunity. This model of lending can certainly help India’s priority sectors in a great aspect.

Although co-lending processes have been around for some time in the BFSI sector, in November 2020, the Reserve bank of India furnished guidelines to ease non-bank lenders’ liquidity crisis. It enhances credit flow to dynamic and, productive sectors. Banks and NBFCs are increasingly exploring opportunities for co-lending

What Is The Co-Lending Model(CLM)?

The co-lending model includes the involvement of a bank and an NBFC. Both the lender firms partner to disburse loans to their customers. The RBI’s CLM model approves all registered NBFCs, including HFCs(Housing Finance Companies) to co-lend loans by partnering with banks.

The process involves Banks leveraging balance sheet strength which houses the majority of the whole loan amount while the NBFCs and HFCs enable origination and smooth collection. In essence, banks can lend to registered NBFCs and HFCs. These Institutions pass it on to individuals and organizations in priority sectors. This is because NBFCs and HFCs have greater reach than banks in many parts of the country.

The customers enter into a loan agreement with NBFCs while the latter acts as a single-point interface for the same borrowers. This agreement contains all the features of the prescribed arrangement including the roles and responsibilities of banks and NBFCs. The lenders decide upon an all-inclusive, reasonable interest rate for the ultimate borrower.

The target of this initiative is to better the credit flow of the priority sectors, particularly the underserved and even the unserved sections. This is possible with the coupling of banks providing a lower cost of funds for the customer while the NBFC utilizes their greater reach.

In the statement issued in November 2020, RBI has also emphasized that it strongly prescribes a part of the bank lending must help developmental activities. These include numerous divisions under the priority sector such as agriculture, housing, MSMEs, etc. The norms determine net bank credit(NBC) for each type of bank. Private and public banks lend 40% of NBC while foreign banks lend 32% of their NBC.

The Benefits Of Co-Lending

CLM initiative helps banks lend more funds to regions and sectors where they do not have sufficient reach. The more established reach from NBFCs helps banks meet the total PSL(Priority Sector Lending). The NBFCs on the other hand receive better and top-rated borrowers in their clientele.

It allows banks to expand and increase their lending business while giving NBFCs to source clients, disburse a part of the loan and perform credit appraisals. The end borrower gains accessibility to loans and borrowing options at affordable and competitive rates. In effect, a mass of the population receives inclusion in the booming financial ecosystem.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.