**Executive Summary**
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued 244 Master Directions (MDs) to consolidate and streamline regulatory instructions administered by the Department of Regulation. This consolidation exercise, which involved more than 9000 existing circulars/guidelines, aims to enhance clarity, ease of access, and reduce the compliance burden for Regulated Entities (REs). The final documents were issued on November 28, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Consolidation of Regulatory Instructions:**
* RBI consolidated over 9000 existing circulars/guidelines into 238 function-wise Master Directions (MDs).
* Instructions from NABARD to Regional Rural Banks, State Co-operative Banks, and Central Co-operative Banks were consolidated in consultation with NABARD.
* **Scope of Consolidation:**
* The consolidation resulted in 238 Master Directions across 11 types of regulated entities.
* Approximately 3500 directions, circulars, and guidelines were consolidated.
* Obsolete directions/circulars were identified for repeal.
* **Regulated Entities (REs) Covered:**
* Commercial Banks
* Small Finance Banks
* Payments Banks
* Local Area Banks
* Regional Rural Banks
* Urban Co-operative Banks
* Rural Co-operative Banks
* All India Financial Institutions
* Non-Banking Financial Companies
* Asset Reconstruction Companies
* Credit Information Companies
* **Public Consultation:**
* Drafts of the 238 MDs were placed on the RBI website for public comments, with a press release dated October 10, 2025.
* RBI received over 770 comments from stakeholders, which were considered during finalisation.
* **Final Documents Issued:**
* 244 Master Directions consolidating the instructions currently administered by the Department of Regulation.
* A list of 9445 circulars being repealed/withdrawn.
* The MDs can be accessed through Notifications → Master Directions → Department of Regulation (Functions Filter).
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Regulated Entities (REs)**
* **Impact:** Reduced compliance burden, enhanced clarity, and easier access to regulatory information.
* **Action Required:** Access the consolidated Master Directions on the RBI website and familiarise themselves with the updated regulations.
**Stakeholder: Department of Regulation**
* **Impact:** Streamlined regulatory communication and administration.
* **Action Required:** Ensure the proper implementation and maintenance of the consolidated Master Directions.
**Stakeholder: General Public**
* **Impact:** Increased transparency and understanding of regulatory frameworks.
* **Action Required:** No direct action required.
Key Entities Referenced
Reserve Bank of India: The central bank of India, responsible for issuing the Consolidated Master Directions.
Master Directions (MDs): Consolidated regulatory instructions issued by the Reserve Bank of India, replacing numerous existing circulars and guidelines.
Department of Regulation: The specific department within the Reserve Bank of India responsible for administering the regulations that were consolidated into Master Directions.
NABARD: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, consulted in the consolidation process for specific banks.
Regulated Entities (REs): The financial institutions and other entities regulated by the Reserve Bank of India to which the Master Directions apply.
प्रेस प्रकाशनी PRESS RELEASE
भारतीय ररज़र्व बैंक
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
वेबसाइट
:
www.rbi.org.in/hindi
संचार वर्भाग, केंद्रीय कायाालय, शहीद भगत ससिंह मागा, फोटा, म िंबई - 400 001
Website : www.rbi.org.in Department of Communication, Central Office, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Fort,
ई-मेल/email : helpdoc@rbi.org.in Mumbai - 400 001 फोन/Phone: 022 - 2266 0502
November 28, 2025
Reserve Bank of India issues Consolidated Master Directions
The Reserve Bank has issued numerous directions over the years, under the
statutory powers conferred upon it by various Acts. While increase in regulatory
guidelines is a natural process as the financial system evolves, this was further
driven by an expanding regulatory perimeter, distributed supervisory/ regulatory
jurisdiction over certain regulated entities, and non-repeal of some of the earlier
instructions when new ones were issued. Being mindful of compliance burden to the
Regulated Entities (REs), the Reserve Bank has continuously endeavoured to
optimise its regulatory framework.
2. Against this backdrop, the Reserve Bank has recently undertaken a fundamental
reorganisation of the regulatory instructions administered by its Department of
Regulation – marking a paradigm shift in its regulatory communication. The
comprehensive exercise involved consolidation of more than 9000 existing circular/
guidelines administered by Department of Regulation into 238 function-wise Master
Directions (MDs), specific to each category of regulated entity. Instructions issued by
NABARD to Regional Rural Banks, State Co-operative Banks and Central Co-
operative Banks were also consolidated in consultation with NABARD. This exercise
is expected to enhance clarity, ease of access, and reduce compliance burden for
REs, thereby supporting the broader objective of improving ease of doing business.
3. Under this consolidation effort, instructions contained in approximately 3500
directions, circulars, and guidelines, were consolidated into 238 Master Directions,
across 11 types of regulated entities. For this purpose, the 11 types of regulated
entities identified are: (a) Commercial Banks; (b) Small Finance Banks; (c) Payments
Banks; (d) Local Area Banks; (e) Regional Rural Banks; (f) Urban Co-operative
Banks; (g) Rural Co-operative Banks; (h) All India Financial Institutions; (i) Non-
Banking Financial Companies; (j) Asset Reconstruction Companies; and (k) Credit
Information Companies. Instructions contained in remaining directions / circulars
were identified as obsolete and marked for repeal once the consolidated MDs are
issued.
4. Accordingly, the drafts of these 238 MDs were placed on website of the Reserve
Bank for public comments regarding completeness and accuracy vide press release
dated October 10, 2025. The list of circulars that were proposed to be repealed
following the issue of consolidated MDs as well as a list of notifications that were to
be retained as standalone were also provided.
5. The Reserve Bank had received over 770 comments from various stakeholders on
the draft MDs. Several suggestions were for regulatory changes, which were outside
the scope of this consolidation exercise, and hence have not been considered for the
purpose of consolidation. The remaining comments, relevant to the finalisation of the
MDs have been duly considered while finalising the consolidated MDs.2
6. Consequently, the following set of final documents are issued today:
(i) 2441 Master Directions consolidating the instructions currently administered by
the Department of Regulation on an ‘as-is’ basis. These instructions have
been issued separately for 11 types of regulated entities and are cohesively
organised across various regulatory areas. These documents can be
accessed through Notifications → Master Directions → Department of
Regulation (Functions Filter). These Master Directions will serve as the sole
library of regulations administered by the Department of Regulation.
(ii) List of 9445 circulars that are being repealed / withdrawn following the issue of
these consolidated Master Directions can be accessed through Notifications
→ List of withdrawn circulars → Circulars withdrawn by the Department of
Regulation.
(Brij Raj)
Press Release: 2025-2026/1588 Chief General Manager
1 Including 7 new MDs on Digital Banking Channels Authorisation for 7 types of REs issued today