**Policy Summary: Enhanced Customer Communication and Grievance Redressal in Banks**
This policy, enacted under the Ministry of Finance and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, focuses on improving customer communication and grievance redressal mechanisms within the banking sector. Key components include:
* **Multilingual Communication:** Banks are mandated to communicate with customers in their preferred language, providing all customer-facing materials in Hindi, English, and the relevant regional language. This reinforces existing RBI Master Circulars and directives (letter dated September 30, 2024).
* **Grievance Redressal Mechanisms:** All banks are required to have board-approved grievance redressal mechanisms. The Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RBIOS, 2021) offers a cost-free platform for complaint redressal against RBI-regulated entities regarding service deficiencies, particularly when the entity fails to respond or resolve the grievance within the stipulated timeframe.
* **Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS):** The government utilizes the CPGRAMS portal, incorporating a feedback call center (operational since June 2022), to gauge citizen satisfaction following grievance resolution. Feedback is relayed to respective banks for necessary action.
* **RBI Contact Centre:** The RBI operates a toll-free Contact Centre (14448), launched in November 2021, to offer information on grievance redressal processes, aid in filing complaints, and provide updates on existing cases. The Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) is accessible 24/7. Live personnel assistance is available Monday to Saturday (excluding National Holidays) from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm in Hindi, English, and ten regional languages.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Finance: The Indian government ministry responsible for the economy and finances.
Reserve Bank of India: The central bank of India, responsible for regulating the banking system.
Scheduled Commercial Banks: Banks in India that are listed in the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme: A scheme by the Reserve Bank of India for cost-free grievance redressal against regulated entities.
RBIOS, 2021: Abbreviation for the Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, established in 2021.
Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System: A Government of India portal for addressing and monitoring public grievances.
CPGRAMS: Abbreviation for Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System, a grievance redressal portal.
Shri Pankaj Chaudhary: Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance.
Ministry of Finance
RBI guidelines ensure multilingual customer
communication and a quicker grievance redressal by
banks
Posted On: 12 AUG 2025 4:24PM by PIB Delhi
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, from time to time, emphasised that banks must communicate with
customers in their preferred language to ensure clarity and convenience. RBI’s Master Circular on Customer
Service in Banks states, inter alia, that all customer-facing materials at the branches of Scheduled Commercial
Banks must be made available in Hindi, English, and the concerned regional language. Further, RBI vide its
letter dated September 30, 2024, reiterated that all communications to customers, should invariably be issued
in a trilingual format-Hindi, English, and the regional language.
All Banks have a robust board approved grievance redressal mechanism in place to address complaints.
Further, the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2021, provides a cost-free platform
for redressal of complaints against RBI-regulated entities (REs) in matters relating to deficiency in service, if
the grievance is not redressed or reply is not given by the RE within the prescribed timeline.
Government through the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) portal,
has a feedback call centre since June 2022, to assess citizen satisfaction after grievance disposal. The
feedback data gets finally forwarded to the banks concerned for appropriate action. Further, RBI’s toll-free
Contact Centre (14448), operational since November 2021, provides information on the grievance redressal
mechanism, assistance in filing complaints, and updates on existing cases. While the Contact Centre (CC) is
available 24*7 through the Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS), the facility to connect to the CC
personnel is available from Monday to Saturday (except National Holidays) from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm in
Hindi, English and ten regional languages.
This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary in a
written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
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NB/AD
(Release ID: 2155543)