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Revised Timeline for Customer Grievance Redressal in Outsourced Financial Services

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet

Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/254 · issued 03 Mar 2008 · ~1 min read

Quick answerRBI has revised the timeline for customers to approach the Banking Ombudsman: if a complainant does not get a satisfactory response from the bank within 30 days from the date of lodging the complaint, they can approach the Banking Ombudsman. This revision is effective from the date of the circular, March 3, 2008.

What changed

The earlier timeline for customers to approach the Banking Ombudsman after lodging a complaint with the bank has been revised. Previously, the period was specified in para 5.10(c) of the November 3, 2006 circular; now, if a complainant does not receive a satisfactory response within 30 days, they can escalate to the Ombudsman.

What it means for you

Banks must ensure their internal grievance redressal mechanisms respond to customer complaints within 30 days to avoid escalation to the Banking Ombudsman. This revision applies to outsourced financial services as per the guidelines.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Update internal grievance handling procedures to acknowledge and resolve complaints within 30 days.
Communicate the revised escalation timeline to all customer-facing staff and outsourcing partners.
Review service level agreements with vendors to ensure they support timely complaint resolution.
Train customer service teams on the new 30-day window before Ombudsman escalation.

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Bank customer service and grievance redressal teams, Outsourcing partners handling financial services for banks

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Decoded by BankPulse 2026-06-19 14:32 IST
repealed_by — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
Status change: withdrawn 05 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What is the new timeline for customers to approach the Banking Ombudsman?

Customers can approach the Banking Ombudsman if they do not receive a satisfactory response from the bank within 30 days of lodging their complaint.

Does this circular apply to Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)?

No, the circular explicitly excludes RRBs from its scope.

When does this revised timeline take effect?

The circular was issued on March 3, 2008, and the revised timeline applies from that date.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)

Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)

RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #2283: DBOD.NO.BP.64/21.04.158/2007-08 — "Guidelines on Managing Risks and Code of Conduct in Outsourcing of Financial Services by Banks" dated March 3, 2008”

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI

RBI/2007-2008/254
 DBOD.NO.BP. 64 / 21.04.158/ 2007-08
 March 03, 2008
 All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs)
 Dear Sir , 
 Guidelines on Managing Risks and Code of Conduct in Outsourcing of Financial Services by banks 
 Please refer to  para 5.10(c) of our circular RBI/2006/167 DBOD.No.BP.40/ 21.04. 158 /2006-07 dated November 3, 2006  on the captioned subject.

 2 .  The time limit given to the customer for preferring their complaints/grievances as specified in the above para has now been revised as under:

 If a complainant does not get satisfactory response  from the bank within 30  days from the date of his lodging the complaint, he will have the option to approach the Office of the concerned Banking Ombudsman for redressal of his grievance/s.

 3. Please acknowledge receipt.

 Yours faithfully,
 ( Prashant Saran)
 Chief General Manager-in-Charge

Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/254 · issued 03 Mar 2008. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.

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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly).
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=4069&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.