RBI/2017-18/133
DNBR.PD.CC.No 091/03.10.001/2017-18

February 23, 2018

All NBFCs

Madam/ Dear Sir,

Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies, 2018 - Appointment of the Nodal Officer/Principal Nodal Officer

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has brought into operation today the Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies, 2018 (The Scheme). The Scheme is available on the RBI website /en/web/rbi. The Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) that are covered under the Scheme (covered NBFCs) are advised to ensure that a suitable mechanism exists for receiving and addressing complaints from their customers with specific emphasis on resolving such complaints expeditiously and in a fair manner.

2. In this connection attention is invited to para 15.3 of the Scheme in terms of which

1. The NBFCs covered by the Scheme shall appoint Nodal Officers (NOs) at their Head/Registered/Regional/Zonal Offices and inform all the Offices of the Ombudsman about the same.

2. The NOs so appointed shall be responsible for representing the company and furnishing information to the Ombudsman in respect of complaints filed against the NBFC.

3. Wherever more than one zone/region of a NBFC is falling within the jurisdiction of an Ombudsman, one of the NOs shall be designated as the ‘Principal Nodal Officer’ (PNO) for such zones or regions.

3. The PNO/NO shall be responsible, inter alia, for representing the covered NBFC before the Ombudsman and the Appellate Authority under the Scheme. The PNO/NO appointed at the Head Office of the NBFC shall be responsible for coordinating and liaising with the Customer Education and Protection Department (CEPD), RBI, Central Office. Covered NBFCs are at liberty to appoint the Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO) identified by the respective NBFCs in terms of extant guidelines on Grievance Redressal Mechanism, applicable to them, as the PNO or NO, provided that the officer concerned is sufficiently senior in the organisation. Where there is more than one Nodal Officer for a zone, the PNO shall be responsible for representing the company and furnishing information to the Ombudsman in respect of complaints filed against the NBFC.

4. With a view to strengthening the Grievances Redressal System and enhancing its effectiveness, the NBFCs shall take necessary steps as outlined above. Further, the name and details of the PNO/NO at the Head Office may be forwarded to the Chief General Manager, Consumer Education and Protection Department, Reserve Bank of India, Central Office, 1st Floor, Amar Building, Sir P.M. Road, Mumbai 400 001 (email). The names and contact details of PNOs/NOs of the zones may be forwarded to the RBI Ombudsman of the concerned zone.

Display of Information

5. Covered NBFCs shall display prominently, for the benefit of their customers, at their branches/ places where business is transacted, the name and contact details (Telephone/ Mobile numbers as also email addresses) of the PNOs/NOs/GROs and the name and contact details of the Ombudsman, who can be approached by the customer.

6. Covered NBFCs shall prominently display the salient features of the Scheme (in English, Hindi and Vernacular language) at all their offices and branches in such a manner that a person visiting the office or branch has easy access to the information. A template for the salient features of the Scheme to be displayed is enclosed for reference (Appendix A).

7. All the above details along with a copy of the Scheme should also be prominently displayed on the web-site of covered NBFCs.

8. The Non-Banking Financial Company - Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Company and Deposit taking Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016, Non-Banking Financial Company – Non-Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016, Non-Banking Financial Company - Account Aggregator (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016, and Non-Banking Financial Company – P2P (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2017 have been updated with the instructions contained hereinabove.

Yours faithfully,

(C.D.Srinivasan)
Chief General Manager

Encl: As above