RBI's answer to rising pending complaints against banks & NBFCs: 10 things to know

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is set to launch a special initiative aimed at resolving customer complaints related to commercial banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) at a faster rate. This will be part of a special campaign that will be active for two months, starting January 1, according to the RBI.

Here are 10 things to know about the special RBI drive:

• Dates: The campaign will run from January 1 to February 28, 2026.
• Aim: The RBI aims to clear all the complaints pending with the central bank ombudsman for more than a month. The central bank remains committed to enhancing consumer protection and empowerment.
• Why this campaign? A recent surge in customer grievances has prompted the Reserve Bank of India to address this issue.
• Ombudsman's Role: The RBI's Ombudsman Scheme -- a powerful tool in the hands of customers dealing with financial institutions -- enables customers to file complaints related to banks, NBFCs and other regulated entities. Customers can flag a host of issues -- ranging from misselling to unfair charges to failed transactions and poor customer service -- using this scheme.

• Rising Complaints: Although authorities have been able to resolve 99.8 per cent of applications within the stipulated time, the number of complaints has risen sharply in the recent months.
• What Governor Says: On Friday, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra urged regulated entities to adopt a customer-centric approach in their policies and operations while improving customer service and reducing grievances. "I elicit the support of all regulated entities in this endeavour," noted the RBI chief.

Key trends in complaints against banks and NBFCs

• In FY25, the RBI received 13.34 lakh customer complaints through the Ombudsman Scheme -- a rise of 13.55 per cent over the corresponding period a year ago, data shows.

• During the same period, the lion's share of the rise in complaints was in loans and advances, at 29.25 per cent, while credit card complaints grew 20 per cent -- the segment recording the second-highest increase.
• Mobile banking- or e-banking-related complaints, on the flipside, declined 12.7 per cent.
• Out of the total complaints during the financial year, 81.5 per cent were about banks and 14.8 per cent about NBFCs.