RBI eases curbs on NBFCs as compliance improves after supervisory actions

The Reserve Bank of India has started to ease curbs on non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) after they improved their compliance following a series of supervisory restrictions.

High interest rates and tighter regulations have been cited as contributors to weak demand and a slowdown in India's economic growth, including by the federal finance ministry in a recent report.

The Indian central bank also got a new chief in December with Sanjay Malhotra taking over from Shaktikanta Das.

The following is a list of companies whose restrictions have been removed by the RBI.

Asirvad Micro Finance, DMI Finance, Arohan Financial Services, Navi Finserv

The RBI on Wednesday removed restrictions imposed on DMI Finance and Manappuram Finance-owned Asirvad Micro Finance with immediate effect.

The regulator had in October barred the two companies, along with Arohan Financial Services and Navi Finserv, from sanctioning and disbursing loans due to "usurious" pricing and charging a significant mark-up over their funding costs.

The same restrictions on Arohan were lifted last week, and from Navi in December.

Edelweiss Asset Reconstruction, ECL Finance

The central bank last month lifted restrictions on Edelweiss Asset Reconstruction and ECL Finance, first imposed in May 2024, which barred them from acquiring financial assets or undertaking structured transactions.

The regulator was satisfied with the measures taken to address what it had called "evergreening" of distressed loans.

JM Financial

A unit of financial services firm JM Financial in October resumed financing activities related to shares and debentures, including loans for IPO subscriptions after the central bank ended restrictive measures.

The RBI in March barred JM Financial Products from issuing such loans, due to regulatory violations and governance concerns.  IIFL Finance

In September, the RBI permitted IIFL Finance to resume issuance of gold loans.

The central bank had barred it from offering gold loans in March, citing concerns about its assessment of gold collateral and violations of the maximum permitted loan-to-value ratio, among other issues.

Bajaj Finance

The RBI in May reversed curbs imposed on India's largest NBFC, Bajaj Finance, allowing it to restart loan disbursals under two of its lending products.

The restrictions were levied in November 2023 due to non-adherence with the central bank's digital lending guidelines.