Regulatory complexity demands
specialist legal authority.
Not general practice.
Banking and finance law at the intersection of RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, and DPDPA.
SIRI Law LLP's banking and finance practice advises banks, NBFCs, payment companies, wealth managers, and financial intermediaries on the full regulatory stack — RBI Master Directions, SEBI frameworks, FEMA compliance, structured finance, and DPDPA obligations that now apply across every financial product.
Overview
Banking & Finance: Where Regulation Meets Commerce
India’s financial sector regulation has undergone fundamental transformation — from the RBI’s Master Directions governing NBFCs and payment systems, to SEBI’s enhanced disclosure regime, to the integration of digital finance and cryptocurrency into the regulatory perimeter. Each development creates compliance obligations and, for those who fail to navigate them, enforcement risk.
SIRI Law LLP’s banking and finance practice advises on the full spectrum: from NBFC licensing and RBI compliance to complex lending transactions, securitisation, and enforcement proceedings before the Debt Recovery Tribunal. Our fintech practice advises on payment aggregator licensing, open banking compliance, and digital lending regulation.
The intersection of banking law with cybersecurity law and data privacy is increasingly critical — payment systems must comply with RBI’s data localisation directions, digital lenders with DPDPA consent obligations, and all financial institutions with CERT-In’s cybersecurity incident reporting requirements. Our integrated practice addresses this overlap seamlessly.
AI & Fintech Banking Advisory
Digital Finance & AI in Banking
AI-powered credit scoring, algorithmic trading, robo-advisory, and digital lending raise novel regulatory questions — around explainability of credit decisions, DPDPA consent for financial data processing, and RBI guidance on AI in regulated entities.
We advise on regulatory compliance for AI-powered financial products and on the legal frameworks governing digital asset custody, CBDC preparation, and cryptocurrency exchange operations.
in regulatory penalties levied by RBI across the banking sector in the past five years — most for governance and compliance failures that specialist counsel would have identified in advance
Financial regulation in India is not a compliance checkbox. It is a governance discipline with real enforcement consequences.
RBI inspection failures expose personal liability
RBI inspections increasingly result in show-cause notices that carry personal liability for senior management. Most institutions are not prepared for the depth of regulatory scrutiny that modern RBI examinations involve.
DPDPA creates a new compliance layer on RBI obligations
Every financial institution now has DPDPA obligations layered on top of existing RBI data protection requirements — requiring specialist advisory to manage both simultaneously.
Third-party risk creates regulatory exposure
RBI outsourcing guidelines and DPDPA Data Processor obligations create a complex compliance matrix for every vendor relationship. Most financial institutions have not updated vendor contracts to reflect current regulatory requirements.
FinTech partnerships create unlicensed activity risk
Banks and NBFCs partnering with FinTech companies face significant regulatory risk if the partnership structure is not correctly designed. Unlicensed activity findings carry severe regulatory consequences.
Services
Banking & Finance Legal Services
- NBFC licensing — application, compliance, and renewal
- RBI regulatory compliance — Master Directions, circulars, inspections
- Payment aggregator and payment gateway licensing (RBI PA framework)
- Digital lending regulation — RBI Digital Lending Guidelines
- Open banking and Account Aggregator framework advisory
- SEBI compliance — broker-dealer, investment adviser, AIF, PMS
- FEMA — inbound and outbound investment, ECB, remittances
- Loan documentation — term loans, working capital, structured finance
- Security creation and enforcement — mortgage, pledge, hypothecation
- Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) — creditor and borrower representation
- NCLT/NCLAT — insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings
- SARFAESI Act enforcement — secured creditor remedies
- Securitisation and assignment of receivables
- Foreign investment in financial services — RBI, FEMA, DPIIT
- Crypto/VDA legal advisory — exchange operations, custody, AML
- CBDC and digital currency regulatory advisory
- AI credit scoring compliance — RBI explainability guidance
- Cybersecurity compliance for RBI-regulated entities
What We Cover
Banking and finance legal services
across the full regulatory stack.
From RBI framework compliance and SEBI advisory through structured finance, FinTech legal support, and banking dispute resolution.
RBI Regulatory Advisory
RBI Master Direction compliance, NBFC regulatory advice, payment aggregator legal support, digital lending framework compliance, and RBI inspection preparation and response management.
SEBI Compliance & Capital Markets
SEBI compliance for listed companies, investment advisers, portfolio managers, and alternative investment funds — regulatory filings, internal audit frameworks, and SEBI investigation defence.
FEMA & Cross-Border Finance
FEMA compliance, foreign direct investment structuring, external commercial borrowing advisory, trade finance legal support, and RBI compounding applications for FEMA contraventions.
Structured Finance & Lending
Loan documentation, security creation and perfection, securitisation legal advisory, credit facility agreements, syndicated lending, and structured product legal documentation.
FinTech Legal & Regulatory Advisory
FinTech partnership structuring, digital lending compliance, payment aggregator regulatory compliance, BNPL legal frameworks, and regulatory sandbox applications for innovative financial products.
Banking Dispute Resolution
Recovery proceedings, SARFAESI Act applications, DRT proceedings, winding-up applications, IBC insolvency proceedings, and guarantee enforcement for banks and financial creditors.
Why SIRI
Banking law with integrated
cyber and DPDPA expertise.
Banking regulation and DPDPA compliance are no longer separate workstreams. SIRI Law LLP manages both from a single integrated practice — eliminating the coordination gap that creates regulatory exposure.
Book Free Consultation →-
🏦RBI + DPDPA Integration
We manage RBI regulatory obligations and DPDPA compliance as a unified programme — eliminating redundancy and producing governance documentation that satisfies both regulators simultaneously.
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🔒Cybersecurity Legal + Technical
RBI's IT framework requires both legal compliance and technical implementation. SIRI's in-house security team validates the technical controls your legal compliance requires — a single advisory relationship across both dimensions.
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⚡RBI Inspection Ready
Our inspection preparation programme produces the documentation, governance evidence, and regulatory response frameworks that RBI examiners expect — significantly reducing the risk of adverse findings.
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🌐FinTech Partnership Structuring
Partnership between banks/NBFCs and FinTech companies involves the most complex regulatory structuring in Indian financial law. SIRI has structured partnerships that satisfy RBI requirements, DPDPA obligations, and commercial objectives simultaneously.
How We Engage
Four stages from instruction to regulatory confidence.
From regulatory risk assessment through programme design, compliance management, and investigation defence.
Regulatory Risk Assessment
Comprehensive assessment of your current regulatory compliance posture across RBI, SEBI, FEMA, DPDPA, and CERT-In — producing a prioritised risk matrix with remediation recommendations.
Compliance Programme
Policy and procedure update, vendor contract remediation, DPDPA implementation, RBI outsourcing framework review, and board-level governance documentation.
Managed Compliance
Regulatory monitoring, circular and direction updates, annual compliance reviews, inspection preparation support, and real-time regulatory advisory as new requirements emerge.
Regulatory Investigation Defence
RBI show-cause notice response, SEBI investigation management, enforcement action defence, and representation before regulatory authorities and tribunals.
Why SIRI Law LLP
Our Banking & Finance Practice Advantage
RBI & SEBI Regulatory Depth
Direct experience with RBI inspection response, SEBI enforcement proceedings, and FEMA compounding — not just advisory on what the regulations say.
Integrated Fintech Advisory
Banking regulation, data privacy, cybersecurity, and digital contract law in a single practice — essential for fintech companies where all these disciplines intersect.
Transactional Precision
Loan documentation, security creation, and structured finance — drafted with the precision that banking transactions demand and the litigation experience to know what will be enforced in court.
DRT & Insolvency Expertise
Creditor-side and debtor-side representation before DRT, DRAT, and NCLT — with a track record in recovery and restructuring proceedings.
AI-Ready Financial Compliance
Advisors who understand AI in banking — from credit scoring explainability to robo-advisory regulation — and can bridge the gap between technology teams and regulators.
Representative Matters
Typical Engagements
All matters described generically to protect client confidentiality.
NBFC – RBI Regulatory Response
Advised an NBFC on responding to an RBI inspection, managing regulatory correspondence, and implementing a remediation programme — avoiding formal enforcement action.
Payment Aggregator Licensing
Guided a fintech startup through the RBI payment aggregator authorisation process — including compliance programme design, net worth documentation, and system audit coordination.
DRT Recovery – Secured Creditor
Represented a scheduled bank in DRT recovery proceedings — obtaining a Recovery Certificate and coordinating SARFAESI enforcement of secured assets to achieve substantial recovery.
Digital Lending – RBI Compliance
Advised a digital lending platform on restructuring its lending model to comply with RBI’s Digital Lending Guidelines — including LSP arrangements, escrow requirements, and KYC framework.
Crypto Exchange – AML/KYC Framework
Advised a cryptocurrency exchange on AML/KYC compliance framework under PMLA obligations — including transaction monitoring, STR filing procedures, and VDA reporting requirements.
Case Study · RBI Inspection Defence
NBFC successfully defends RBI inspection findings
and avoids ₹5Cr penalty.
A Hyderabad NBFC received adverse findings from an RBI inspection relating to KYC gaps, digital lending framework non-compliance, and data localisation issues. SIRI Law LLP prepared the regulatory response, documented the remediation steps implemented, and represented the NBFC in enforcement proceedings. The final outcome was a written advisory with no monetary penalty — against an initial exposure of approximately ₹5Cr.
The SIRI Difference
Without SIRI vs. With SIRI.
Generalist corporate law firm
No technical cyber overlay on RBI compliance
RBI IT framework compliance reviewed as a legal document exercise — without technical validation of whether IT controls actually meet regulatory standards
DPDPA treated as a separate engagement
DPDPA compliance handled separately from RBI regulatory advisory — creating documentation inconsistency and governance gaps
No inspection preparation expertise
Regulatory inspection response managed reactively — without a pre-built inspection readiness programme that anticipates examiner focus areas
FinTech partnerships misstructured
FinTech partnership legal structuring based on commercial terms alone — without the RBI regulatory intelligence needed to avoid unlicensed activity risk
SIRI Law LLP — Regulatory + Technical
RBI IT framework validated by technical team
Legal compliance and technical implementation validated by the same advisory relationship — our security team confirms your IT controls meet the standards your legal compliance requires
DPDPA + RBI integrated programme
Single advisory programme covering both regulatory frameworks — eliminating redundancy and producing unified governance documentation
Pre-built inspection readiness programme
Proactive inspection preparation covering likely examiner focus areas, governance documentation, board oversight evidence, and regulatory correspondence management
RBI-compliant FinTech partnership structuring
Partnership structures designed with RBI regulatory compliance as a primary design constraint — eliminating unlicensed activity risk at the structuring stage
Frequently Asked Questions
Banking and finance law,
answered directly.
Financial regulation requires specialist counsel.
Generalist advice creates regulatory exposure.
Book a confidential regulatory compliance assessment with SIRI Law LLP. We will map your obligations across RBI, SEBI, FEMA, and DPDPA — and design an integrated compliance programme.
📞 +91 7981912046 — Mon–Sat, 9 AM – 7 PM IST · WhatsApp