RBI Licensing Consultant — Every License. One Trusted Team.
Whether you're launching an NBFC, a Payment Aggregator, a P2P lending platform, or any other RBI-regulated entity, our CA, CS, and legal team takes you from application to approval — with transparent pricing and honest timelines at every stage.
Find the Right RBI License for Your Business
Tell us a bit about your business — we'll call you back with a clear answer.
Free 20-minute consultation. No obligation.
200+
Professionals
2,000+
Active Clients
850 Cr+
Recovery Value Managed
30+
Financial Institutions Partnered
Which RBI License Does Your Business Need?
RBI regulates several distinct categories, each with its own capital requirements and eligibility criteria. Applying under the wrong one is one of the most common — and most expensive — mistakes we see.
NBFC
Non-Banking Financial Company
For businesses offering loans, credit, asset financing, or investment products.
Best for: Lending businesses, asset finance companies, investment-led fintechs
Full details on NBFC RegistrationNBFC-P2P
Peer-to-Peer Lending Platform
For an online marketplace connecting individual lenders directly with borrowers, without lending from its own balance sheet.
₹50 lakh aggregate exposure cap per lender, ₹10 lakh aggregate cap per borrower, mandatory escrow via a bank-promoted trustee.
Best for: P2P lending marketplaces
Ask us about NBFC-P2P licensingNBFC-AA
Account Aggregator
For businesses that consolidate and share a customer's financial data across institutions, with consent, rather than lend directly.
Best for: Fintechs building financial data-sharing and consent infrastructure
Ask us about NBFC-AA licensingPayment Aggregator
Payment Aggregator (PA) License
For non-bank entities processing merchant payments and settling funds through an escrow structure.
All transactions must route through escrow accounts; a statutory auditor certificate confirming net worth is mandatory with the application.
Best for: Payment processing platforms, e-commerce payment infrastructure, cross-border settlement platforms
Ask us about Payment Aggregator licensingHFC
Housing Finance Company
For businesses specifically financing housing and real estate purchases.
Best for: Housing-focused lending businesses
Ask us about HFC licensingNot sure which category fits your business model? This is the single most common question we get — and the one mistake that costs founders the most time and money when they get it wrong. Talk to us before you file anything: +91 92895 67208
There's a Faster Way
Not Ready to Apply for Any of These Yet?
Every license category above requires meeting a capital threshold and going through RBI's review process — typically 3–6 months. If your priority is to start lending sooner rather than to hold a specific license yourself, our Plug & Play NBFC system lets you operate under an already-licensed partner — no application, no NOF capital, no waiting.
Understanding RBI's Scale-Based Regulation (SBR) Framework
Every RBI-regulated financial entity is classified into one of four layers based on size, activity, and risk — and your layer determines how closely RBI supervises you going forward, not just at the time of licensing.
Base Layer
Non-deposit-taking NBFCs with assets below ₹1,000 crore — includes P2P platforms and Account Aggregators.
Middle Layer
All deposit-taking NBFCs regardless of size, non-deposit NBFCs once assets cross ₹1,000 crore, and HFCs and Core Investment Companies automatically, regardless of size.
Upper Layer
The largest, most systemically significant NBFCs, identified by RBI based on a defined scoring methodology.
Top Layer
Reserved for NBFCs RBI considers to pose the highest systemic risk — currently kept empty unless specifically warranted.
Your layer isn't fixed forever — as your business grows, RBI can move you into a higher layer with tighter compliance obligations (any NBFC can also be escalated into the Upper Layer based on RBI's own scoring, regardless of its default layer). We help you plan your licensing and compliance strategy with this trajectory in mind from day one, not just for your first application.
Everything RBI Services requires, handled end to end
Any business offering lending, payment processing, peer-to-peer lending, financial data aggregation, or housing finance in India needs explicit RBI authorisation before it can operate. The challenge most founders face isn't knowing they need a license — it's knowing which one, and getting the category right the first time. We start every engagement by mapping your actual business model to the RBI category it genuinely belongs in, then manage the licensing event with full rigor, whether it's a first-time application or a change to an existing license.
Business model assessment to identify the correct RBI license category
First-time licensing support across NBFC, Payment Aggregator, NBFC-P2P, NBFC-AA, and HFC categories
Scale-based regulation (SBR) layer classification and upgrade advisory
Approval applications for change in control, management, or shareholding
Certificate of Registration or Authorisation amendments for new permitted activities
RBI correspondence and clarification management for licensing matters
Liaison support for specific RBI approvals and no-objection certificates
RBI's “Fit and Proper” Criteria for Promoters & Directors
Across every RBI license category, promoters and directors are assessed against these norms. RBI conducts its own background verification on this — which is why we review it with you upfront, before you're invested in an application likely to face scrutiny.
Clean credit history — no willful default classification
No criminal record
Transparent, verifiable source of funds for the capital being invested
For most categories, at least one-third of directors should have relevant banking or financial services experience
Simple, transparent, and built around your timeline
Business Model Assessment
We map your actual business activity to the correct RBI license category before anything else.
Structuring & Capital Compliance
Company structure, shareholding, and the minimum net worth/NOF requirement for your specific category, confirmed via statutory certification where required.
Fit and Proper Verification
We review promoters and directors against RBI's Fit and Proper criteria before you're invested in an application likely to face scrutiny.
Application via PRAVAAH
Complete documentation and business plan submitted through RBI's PRAVAAH portal, the now-mandatory front end for regulatory license applications.
RBI Review
RBI verifies your documentation, business model, and promoter background — for some categories, your application may also be published for public comments.
Authorisation Issued
Once approved, RBI issues your Certificate of Registration or Authorisation and you're cleared to operate.
Who This Is For
- Founders launching a new NBFC, Payment Aggregator, P2P platform, Account Aggregator, or HFC
- NBFCs moving between SBR layers as they scale
- NBFCs changing ownership, management, or shareholding structure
- Businesses adding new permitted activities to an existing license
Eligibility
- Company incorporated (or willing to incorporate) under the Companies Act, 2013
- Meets the minimum net worth/NOF requirement for the specific license category
- Promoters and directors able to meet RBI's Fit and Proper criteria
Documents Typically Needed
- Certificate of Incorporation, MOA & AOA
- KYC and background documents for promoters and directors
- Detailed business plan specific to the license category
- Financial statements and statutory auditor certification of net worth/NOF
- Board resolutions authorising the application
Pricing
Cost varies significantly by license category — an NBFC license and a Payment Aggregator license have very different capital and fee structures. We'll walk through a category-specific breakdown on a strategy call.
Get a Free QuoteCommon Reasons RBI License Applications Get Rejected
RBI reviews every application for regulatory soundness, promoter credibility, and financial readiness. These five issues account for most of the delays and rejections we see.
Wrong license category
Applying as an NBFC when your business model actually fits Payment Aggregator (or vice versa) is a fundamental, costly mistake.
Insufficient or improperly sourced capital
RBI requires capital from genuine promoter-owned equity, not borrowed funds.
Fit and Proper issues
Undisclosed credit defaults or incomplete promoter background documentation.
Incomplete or inconsistent documentation
Mismatched figures or missing pieces across the application.
Missing statutory certifications
Several categories, like Payment Aggregator, require a mandatory statutory auditor certificate confirming net worth — applications without it are returned.
Operating without the correct authorisation
RBI treats unauthorised financial operations seriously — penalties can include fines and, in serious cases, personal liability for directors. Some categories also carry hard deadlines: RBI has, for example, set explicit windows for payment aggregator entities to get authorised or wind down operations. Missing a deadline like that isn't just a compliance risk — it can force an unplanned shutdown. Getting the right license, on time, protects the business you've built.
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Common RBI Licensing Questions
Ready to build your financial business?
Tell us where you are — idea, license, or scale — and we'll map the fastest path forward on a strategy call.