**Executive Summary**
The Government and RBI have been working to address unauthorized digital loan apps (DLAs). RBI has launched a directory of approved DLAs on its website on July 1, 2025, to help users verify legitimacy. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has the power to block unauthorized DLAs, and both the Government and RBI have initiated various measures to protect citizens.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **RBI DLA Directory:**
* RBI operationalized a ‘Digital Lending Apps (DLAs)' directory on its website effective July 1, 2025.
* It includes all DLAs deployed by Regulated Entities (REs) of RBI.
* The directory helps customers verify a DLA’s association with an RE.
* **Blocking Unauthorized DLAs:**
* MeitY can block unauthorized DLAs under Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000.
* **RBI Digital Lending Directions:**
* RBI issued Digital Lending Directions, 2025 on May 8, 2025.
* These include provisions for recovery, data privacy, and customer grievance redressal.
* These directions are mandatory for REs, Lending Service Providers (LSPs), and DLAs.
* **Other Measures:**
* Proactive engagement with internet intermediaries and messaging platforms to review unauthorized loan apps.
* The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), proactively analyzes digital lending apps.
* MHA launched the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) and Helpline number "1930" for reporting cyber incidents.
* Banks facilitate complaint lodging against illegal deposit/collection of money through the ‘SACHET' portal and State Level Coordination Committee (SLCC).
* RBI and banks conduct awareness campaigns on cyber-crime prevention via SMS, radio, and publicity.
* RBI conducts electronic-banking awareness and training (e-BAAT) programs on fraud awareness and risk mitigation.
**Impact Analysis**
**Citizens**
* **Impact:** Citizens are better equipped to verify the legitimacy of digital lending apps, report cybercrimes related to digital lending, and lodge complaints against entities involved in illegal deposit/collection of money.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the RBI’s DLA directory, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, and the ‘SACHET’ portal to verify DLAs and report suspicious activities.
**Regulated Entities (REs), Lending Service Providers (LSPs), and Digital Lending Apps (DLAs)**
* **Impact:** REs, LSPs, and DLAs are mandated to follow RBI's Digital Lending Directions, 2025, which include provisions for recovery, data privacy, and customer grievance redressal.
* **Action Required:** Ensure compliance with RBI Digital Lending Directions 2025.
**Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)**
* **Impact:** MeitY is empowered to block unauthorized DLAs.
* **Action Required:** Issue directions for blocking unauthorized DLAs upon identification.
**Banks**
* **Impact:** Banks are now more responsible to perform awareness campaigns to help educate and protect citizens.
* **Action Required:** Facilitate complaint lodging and conduct awareness campaigns on cyber-crime prevention.
Key Entities Referenced
Reserve Bank of India (RBI): India's central bank, playing a key role in regulating digital lending apps and related entities.
Digital Lending Apps (DLAs): Mobile applications providing loans, regulated by the RBI to prevent unauthorized operations.
Section 69A of Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000: Legal provision used by MeitY to block unauthorized digital loan apps.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY): Government ministry responsible for blocking unauthorized digital loan apps.
Reserve Bank of India (Digital Lending) Directions, 2025: RBI's guidelines for recovery, data privacy, and grievance redressal in digital lending.
Ministry of Finance
Government and RBI have taken several
measures to Strengthen Digital Lending
Ecosystem
प्रव तथ: 08 DEC 2025 7:30PM by PIB Delhi
The Government has been constantly engaging with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other concerned
Regulators/stakeholders to curb the operations of unauthorized digital loan apps in the country. For public
information, RBI has operationalized a directory ‘Digital Lending Apps (DLAs)’ on its website with effect
from 01.07.2025, consisting of all DLAs deployed by Regulated Entities (REs) of RBI. The directory aims
to aid the customers in verifying the claim of a DLA’s association with a RE.
In the case of unauthorized digital loan apps being identified, Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) is empowered to issue directions for blocking of information for public access under
Section 69A of Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 after following the due process as provided in the
Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public)
Rules, 2009.
Further, the Government and RBI have been taking up various initiatives from time to time to protect
citizens from exploitation by unauthorized loan apps. These inter-alia, includes:
i. RBI has issued Reserve Bank of India (Digital Lending) Directions, 2025 on May 8, 2025.
These directions have detailed provision regarding recovery, data privacy, and customer
grievance redressal mechanisms which are mandatory for the REs, the Lending Service
Providers (LSPs) engaged by them and the Digital Lending Apps (DLAs).
ii. Proactively engaging with the major internet intermediaries and messaging platforms to
review the operations of unauthorised loan apps.
iii. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been
proactively analysing the digital lending apps. In order to facilitate the citizens to report cyber
incidents including illegal loan apps, MHA has launched a National Cybercrime Reporting
Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) as well as a National Cybercrime Helpline number “1930”.
iv. The banks through the public facing platform ‘SACHET’ portal and the inter-regulatory State
Level Coordination Committee (SLCC) facilitate the citizens for lodging of any complaints
against specific entity related to deposit/ collection of money illegally.
v. RBI and banks have been taking up awareness campaigns through short SMS, radio
campaign, publicity on prevention of ‘cyber-crime’. Further, RBI has been conducting
electronic-banking awareness and training (e-BAAT) programmes which focuses on
awareness about frauds and risk mitigation.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Finance Smt Nirmala Sitharaman in a reply to a
question in Lok Sabha today.
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