The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has urged banks against disbursing gold loans through fintech businesses. The central bank has highlighted worries about the review process used by these banks and fintechs, particularly where the gold is obtained from.
The regulator has informally addressed its concerns to a number of banks, requesting that they take corrective action promptly. Cautioned banks are in negotiations with fintech companies to resolve the issues raised by the RBI. This is likely to cause a temporary halt to the operation in order to assure perfect compliance.
The valuation of the asset and credit disbursement against it are critical components of the gold loan industry. According to RBI guidelines, gold loan disbursements are limited to 75% of the asset’s value.
According to a top industry official, the issues stem from the strong involvement of field personnel and the possibility of gold overvaluation. “For fintechs, there is a first level of check that takes place at the doorstep of the customer,” the company’s chief executive stated. “Next, another round at the bank branch…” The regulator may have discovered differences between the two during their audits.”
In some circumstances, fintechs offer personal loans in addition to gold loans to suit the credit needs of their customers. This could have been a red flag for the central bank.