The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on July 15, 2026, issued the draft ‘Guidance on Regulatory Expectations for Data Governance’.
The following has been stated:
• The draft guidance applies to Commercial Banks, Small Finance Banks, Payments Banks, Local Area Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Urban and Rural Co-operative Banks, All India Financial Institutions, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs), and Credit Information Companies (CICs).
• It aims to strengthen data governance frameworks in response to increasing digitalisation and technology-driven business models by setting out regulatory expectations on data governance, governance roles and responsibilities, data architecture, metadata and data lineage, data quality, and third-party data sharing arrangements.
• The guidance seeks to ensure that data remains accurate, consistent, secure, and fit for purpose, thereby mitigating financial, operational, compliance, and reputational risks associated with weak data governance practices.
• Comments from regulated entities, stakeholders, and the public are invited by August 17, 2026.
