RBI fines Bank of Maharashtra, IDBI Bank,BOB,Axis Bank & ICICI Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 2 May 2025 has imposed fines and penalties on Bank of Maharashtra, IDBI Bank, Bank of Baroda (BoB), Axis Bank & ICICI Bank for non-compliance with the its guidelines and directives 

During its periodic audit of these banks, the RBI found that they violated its various regulatory guidelines and directives.

Fine on Bank of Maharashtra   

The public sector bank, the Bank of Maharashtra, was fined Rs 31.8 lakh by the RBI.

Reason 

• The bank was found guilty of opening several savings bank accounts via Aadhaar OTP-based e-KYC (electronic know you customer) in non-face-to-face mode, without following prescribed regulatory requirements.

Fine on Bank of Baroda 

Another public sector lender, Bank of Baroda, was fined Rs 61.40 lakhs.

The bank was held guilty for ;

• Its  failure to ensure that no non-cash incentive was paid to its staff engaged in insurance corporate agency services by an insurance company, and
• Failing to credit interest in certain inoperative, dormant, or frozen savings accounts.
• Inoperative or dormant accounts are those demand deposit accounts (saving and current) where the customer has not done any transaction for the past two years.
• According to the RBI, the bank has to pay interest on dormant savings accounts.
• Frozen saving accounts are those accounts which have been frozen on the order of the court or by the banks due to suspicion of illegal activity.

Fine on IDBI Bank 

The private sector bank, the IDBI Bank, was fined Rs 31.80 lakh by the RBI.

• The bank charged more interest rate than prescribed by the government on certain Kisan Credit Card (KCC) accounts.

Fine on  ICICI Bank 

India’s second-largest private sector bank, the ICICI Bank, was fined Rs 97.80 lakhs.

Reason:

• ICICI failed to report a cybersecurity breach within the stipulated time,
• Failure to implement robust software for generating alerts on certain accounts, and 
• charging late payment fees from credit card customers despite not sending them bills or statements.

Fine on Axis Bank 

India’s third-largest private sector Bank, the Axis Bank, was fined Rs 29.60 lakh.

Reason 

• It was found guilty of unauthorised or unrelated entries through certain internal or office accounts.

About the Axis Bank 

It started its banking operation under UTI Bank in 1994. In 2007, it was renamed as Axis Bank.

Tag Line: Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

MD and CEO: Amitabh Chaudhary

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra 

About ICICI Bank 

ICICI Bank was established by ICICI in 1994. ICICI, which was a developmental financial institution, merged with ICICI Bank in 2002.

It is the second-largest private sector bank in India after HDFC Bank.

Tagline : Hum Hai Na and  Khyal Apaka,

MD and CEO: Sandeep Bakshi 

Headquarters: Mumbai

About Bank of Baroda 

Founded by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, King of Baroda, as a private bank on 20 July 1908.

It was nationalised by the government of India in 1969.

It is the second-largest public sector bank in India after SBI.

Tagline: India’s International Bank

MD and CEO: Debadatta Chand

Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat 

About Bank of Maharashtra 

Bank of Maharashtra was established as a private bank, and it started its banking operations in February 1936.

It was nationalised by the government of India in 1969.

Headquarters - Pune 

Tagline:  ek Parivaar ek Bank

MD and CEO: Nidhu Saxena

About IDBI Bank Limited

IDBI Bank was established by the Industrial Development Bank of India Limited (IDBI Ltd) in October 2004 as its wholly owned subsidiary.

In April 2005, the IDBI Bank was amalgamated with IDBI Limited.

In May 2008, the name of IDBI Limited was changed to IDBI Bank Limited. 

The bank was classified as a private bank by the RBI in 2019.

Tagline: Banking For All, Aao Sochein Bada, Bank Aisa Dost Jaisa

MD and CEO: Rakesh Sharma 

Headquarters: Mumbai 

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