Credit Demand of FPOs – A Credit Market Estimation Exercise
This article aims to provide a preliminary estimate of the credit requirements of FPOs, drawing on the experience of professionals who have been closely associated with FPOs for several years in their development and operations.
Towards Customer-Centric KYC: RBI’s 2025 Amendments from a Financial Inclusion Lens
In this blog post, we analyse the changes in the direction and weigh them through the lens of customer protection and long-term sustainability. We also offer suggestions on streamlining the KYC updation (re-KYC) exercise without adding to systemic risks.
Our Observations on the Draft Banning of Unregulated Lending Activities (BULA) Act by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), GoI
On 13 December 2024, the Ministry of Finance, Government of India (MoF) released the draft Banning of Unregulated Lending Activities (BULA) Act. This aligns with recommendations made in the Report of the Working Group on Digital Lending.
Responsible AI means good business for all
When AI-driven decisions are fair, respect privacy and are not opaque, they foster customer confidence
Need a more flexible AePS environment
While the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) has emerged as the foundational technology enabling cash-in cash-out (CICO) across the country, efforts by bad actors to defraud banking customers through it continue to be a pressing concern
Could we be doing better with consent?
This blog presents a self-assessment checklist targeted at UI/UX designers and AA product managers, enabling them to surface gaps in the design of their consent artefacts especially in relation to the vulnerable customer.
SEBI’s proposed changes can spruce up investment advisory regulations
The new proposals can significantly increase the number of RIAs by relaxing the requirement of having a Master’s degree and prior work experience and by lowering net-worth requirements.
Our response to the RBI’s Draft framework for recognising Self-Regulatory Organisations (SRO) for FinTech Sector
Our response covers two themes:
Leading from a customer protection perspective, our comments emphasise the need for the prospective SRO to have duties towards the customers, at par with responsibilities towards the regulator.
Notes from Consumers International’s Global Congress 2023
Consumer protection in financial services is a core component of Dvara Research’s mission, activities and its advocacy agenda. In this regard, I had the opportunity to participate at Consumers International’s Global Congress 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2023.
Our Response to RBI’s Draft Omnibus Framework for recognising Self-Regulatory Organisations (SROs) for Regulated Entities (REs)
In this blogpost, we present our comments primarily to the former, but significantly implicating the latter. We include both frameworks since they cover similar subject matter – the creation of an SRO.
