Fintech

The Reserve Bank of India ("RBI") has placed the Draft Reserve Bank of India (Prepaid Payment Instruments) Directions, 2026 ("Draft PPI Direction") for comments on its website on 22 April 2026. The RBI had issued the existing Master Directions on Prepaid Payment Instruments ("PPI MD") in 2021 to provide a regulatory framework for the issuance and operation of prepaid payment instruments ("PPIs"). PPIs are payment tools that allow the holders to buy goods and services, or se

India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act is reshaping how companies handle personal data. For SaaS businesses operating in India or serving Indian users, privacy compliance is moving beyond policy documents into everyday operational decisions. This article explores the regulatory trajectory leading to 2026, the expectations emerging around consent, data minimisation, breach preparedness, and contractual accountability, and what SaaS companies must begin preparing f

The issuance of the updated Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), and Combating Proliferation Financing (CPF) Guidelines for Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers (VDASPs) guidelines in January 2026 marks a decisive milestone in India’s crypto and digital asset ecosystem regulations. This follows the March 2023 notification from the central government, which brought entities providing services related to virtual digital assets under the P

The Need for Speed in Cross-Border Payments A recent draft circular from the Reserve Bank of India outlines guidelines to facilitate faster cross-border inward payments. It identifies delays at the beneficiary leg as a significant factor affecting the speed of these payments. To streamline processes, the draft circular proposes that beneficiary banks: Inform their customers immediately upon receiving an inward message. Messages received after operating hours should be communi