RBI imposes monetary penalty on Airtel Payments Bank for disclosure non-compliance
Summary
The Reserve Bank of India imposed a monetary penalty of ₹31.80 lakh (approximately USD 38,000) on Airtel Payments Bank Limited for non-compliance with RBI directions on 'Disclosure in Financial Statements'. The penalty stems from the bank's failure to disclose certain complaints in its annual financial statements for FY 2024-25, as identified during the Statutory Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation (ISE 2025).
What changed
The RBI's enforcement action against Airtel Payments Bank stems from supervisory findings during ISE 2025, which examined the bank's financial position as of March 31, 2025. Investigators determined that the bank failed to disclose certain complaints in its annual financial statements for FY 2024-25, violating RBI disclosure directions. After the bank was issued a show cause notice and given opportunity to respond—including written and oral submissions during a personal hearing—RBI sustained the charge and imposed the monetary penalty under Section 47A(1)(c) read with Section 46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
Payments banks and other supervised financial institutions should review their annual financial statement disclosure practices to ensure full compliance with RBI directions on complaint disclosures. The RBI has clarified that this penalty does not pronounce on the validity of any customer transactions and is without prejudice to other potential actions. Other banks should treat this as a signal that disclosure compliance receives close supervisory attention and may result in monetary penalties when deficiencies are identified.
What to do next
- Review annual financial statement disclosure practices for complaint-related disclosures
- Ensure compliance with RBI 'Disclosure in Financial Statements' directions for all future filings
- Implement controls to capture and disclose all required complaints in financial statements
Penalties
₹31.80 lakh (Rupees Thirty One Lakh Eighty Thousand) monetary penalty
Archived snapshot
Mar 31, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Press Releases
| () | |
| Date : Mar 30, 2026 | |
| Reserve Bank of India imposes monetary penalty on Airtel Payments Bank Limited | |
| | The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated March 30, 2026, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹31.80 lakh (Rupees Thirty one lakh eighty thousand only) on Airtel Payments Bank Limited (the bank) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the directions issued by RBI on ‘Disclosure in Financial Statements’. 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 2025) of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2025. 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 RBI 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 charge against the bank regarding non-disclosure of certain complaints in its annual financial statements for the financial year 2024-25, was 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.
(Brij Raj)
Chief General Manager
Press Release: 2025-2026/2358 | | The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated March 30, 2026, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹31.80 lakh (Rupees Thirty one lakh eighty thousand only) on Airtel Payments Bank Limited (the bank) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the directions issued by RBI on ‘Disclosure in Financial Statements’. 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 2025) of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2025. 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 RBI 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 charge against the bank regarding non-disclosure of certain complaints in its annual financial statements for the financial year 2024-25, was 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.
(Brij Raj)
Chief General Manager
Press Release: 2025-2026/2358 |
| The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated March 30, 2026, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹31.80 lakh (Rupees Thirty one lakh eighty thousand only) on Airtel Payments Bank Limited (the bank) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the directions issued by RBI on ‘Disclosure in Financial Statements’. 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 2025) of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2025. 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 RBI 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 charge against the bank regarding non-disclosure of certain complaints in its annual financial statements for the financial year 2024-25, was 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.
(Brij Raj)
Chief General Manager
Press Release: 2025-2026/2358 | |
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