This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, September 25, 2025: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, imposed a monetary penalty on 5 co-operative banks.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs2 lakh on Makarpura Industrial Estate Co-operative Bank; Rs1.50 lakh on The South Canara District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd, Karnataka; Rs50,000 on The Guntur District Co-operative Central Bank, Andhra Pradesh; Rs50,000 on The Tamil Nadu Circle Postal Co-operative Bank and Rs10 lakh on Gayatri Co-operative Urban Bank, Jagtial, Telangana.
1 The Reserve Bank of India (RBl) has, by an order dated September 22, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs2 lakh (Rupees Two Lakh only) on Makarpura Industrial Estate Co-operative Bank Ltd., Vadodara, Gujarat (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’ and ‘Basic Cyber Security Framework for Primary (Urban) Cooperative Banks (UCBs)’ read with ‘Comprehensive Cyber Security Framework for Primary (Urban) Cooperative Banks (UCBs) – A Graded Approach’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by the RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. 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 directions. After considering the bank's reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and additional submissions made by it, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had failed to:
carry out periodic review of risk categorisation of certain accounts, with such periodicity being at least once in six months; and
implement certain cyber security control measures under the Cyber Security Framework prescribed by RBI.
This 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 this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
2 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated September 23, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs1.50 lakh (Rupees One Lakh Fifty Thousand only) on The South Canara District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd, Karnataka (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Housing finance’ read with ‘Enhancement in Individual housing loan limits and credit to Commercial Real Estate - Residential Housing (CRE-RH)’ and contravention of provisions of Section 19 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions / 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 directions and provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had:
breached the prudential exposure limits on housing finance; and
held shares in other co-operative society in contravention of B R Act.
This 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 this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
3 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated September 23, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) on The Guntur District Co-operative Central Bank Limited, Andhra Pradesh (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. 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 directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had failed to upload the KYC records of customers onto Central KYC Records Registry (CKYCR) within the prescribed timeline.
This 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 this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
4 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated September 23, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) on The Tamil Nadu Circle Postal Co-operative Bank Ltd., Tamil Nadu (the bank) for non-compliance with specific directions issued by RBI under ‘Supervisory Action Framework (SAF)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. 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 directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had offered interest rates on deposits higher than those offered by State Bank of India in non-adherence to directions issued under SAF.
This 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 this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
5 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated September 23, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs10 lakh (Rupees Ten Lakh only) on Gayatri Co-operative Urban Bank Ltd., Jagtial, Telangana (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Marketing / Distribution of Mutual Fund / Insurance Products by Urban Cooperative Banks’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. 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 directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had sold insurance products to its customers without adequate disclosure and transparency.
This 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 this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
