HomeCirculars › RBI/2008-2009/354

UCBs: Strengthening Info Sharing in Consortium/Multiple Banking

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-2009/354 · issued 21 Jan 2009 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI directs urban co-op banks to improve borrower information sharing under consortium/multiple banking to curb frauds. Banks must obtain declarations, exchange account conduct data quarterly, use CIBIL reports, and add confidentiality clauses in loan agreements.

What changed

RBI, after consulting Indian Banks' Association, issued new guidelines for urban co-operative banks on consortium and multiple banking arrangements. Banks must now obtain borrower declarations about existing credit facilities from other banks, exchange account conduct information quarterly, and get compliance certificates from a professional like a Company Secretary. They are also encouraged to use CIBIL credit reports more and include clauses in loan agreements to address confidentiality issues.

What it means for you

This directive aims to plug information gaps that have led to frauds in consortium and multiple banking setups. For banks, it means tighter due diligence at loan origination and ongoing monitoring through regular data sharing with other lenders. Compliance costs may rise, but the move reduces credit risk and potential fraud losses. Banks must update loan documentation and internal processes to capture and exchange borrower information systematically.

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

Who it affects

All Primary Urban Co-operative Banks, Borrowers availing credit facilities from multiple banks, Credit departments and loan officers of UCBs, Compliance and risk management teams

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

What is the threshold for existing borrowers to provide declarations?

Existing borrowers with sanctioned limits of Rs.5 crore and above must provide declarations about credit facilities from other banks. Banks should also seek declarations from any borrower they know is availing credit from other banks.

How often must banks exchange borrower account conduct information?

Banks must exchange information about the conduct of borrowers' accounts with other banks at least quarterly, using the format given in Annex II of the circular.

What should be included in loan agreements regarding credit information?

Loan agreements should include suitable clauses that allow banks to exchange credit information with other lenders, addressing confidentiality issues. For existing facilities, this should be done at the next renewal.

📜 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 #1991: UBD.PCB.No.36/13.05.000/2008-09 — "Lending under Consortium Arrangement / Multiple Banking Arrangements" dated January 21, 2009”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2008-2009/354 UBD.PCBNo. 36/13.05.000/2008-09 January 21, 2009 Chief Executive Officer All Primary Urban Co-operative Banks (As per List) Dear Sir, Lending under Consortium Arrangement / Multiple Banking Arrangements As you are aware, various regulatory prescriptions regarding conduct of consortium / multiple banking / syndicate arrangements were withdrawn by Reserve Bank of India in October 1996 with a view to introducing flexibility in the credit delivery system and to facilitate smooth flow of credit. However, Central Vigilance Commission, Government of India, in the light of frauds involving consortium / multiple banking arrangements which have taken place recently, has expressed concerns on the working of Consortium Lending and Multiple Banking Arrangements in the banking system. The Commission has attributed the incidence of frauds mainly to the lack of effective sharing of information about the credit history and the conduct of the account of the borrowers among various banks. 2. The matter has been examined by us in consultation with the Indian Banks Association who are of the opinion that there is need for improving the sharing / dissemination of information among the banks about the status of the borrowers enjoying credit facilities from more than one bank. Accordingly, the banks are encouraged to strengthen their information back-up about the borrowers enjoying credit facilities from multiple banks as under: (i) At the time of granting fresh facilities, banks may obtain declaration from the borrowers about the credit facilities already enjoyed by them from other banks in Annex I . In the case of existing lenders, all the banks may seek a declaration from their existing borrowers availing sanctioned limits of Rs.5.00 crore and above or wherever, it is in their knowledge that their borrowers are availing credit facilities from other banks, and introduce a system of exchange of information with other banks as indicated above. (ii) Subsequently, banks should exchange information about the conduct of the borrowers' accounts with other banks in the format given in Annex II at least at quarterly intervals. (iii) Obtain regular certification by a professional, preferably a Company Secretary, regarding compliance of various statutory prescriptions that are in vogue, as per specimen given in Annex III . (iv) Make greater use of credit reports available from CIBIL. (v) The banks should incorporate suitable clauses in the loan agreements in future (at the time of next renewal in the case of existing facilities) regarding exchange of credit information so as to address confidentiality issues. 3. Please acknowledge receipt to the Regional Office concerned. Yours faithfully, (A.K.Khound) Chief General Manager-in-Charge Annex - I Minimum Information to be Declared by Borrowing Entities to Banks while Approaching for Finance under Multiple Banking Arrangement A. Details of borrowing arrangements from other banks (institution wise) I.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-2009/354 · issued 21 Jan 2009. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related
Topics: Co-operative Banks
Key dataSee the live numbers behind this topic: RBI Penalty Tracker, NPA / Asset-Quality Tracker — updated from official RBI data.
Key termsPlain-English definitions of terms in this circular — see the full Indian banking glossary. KYC / AML · Gross NPA (GNPA) · Deposit insurance (DICGC) · Scheduled Commercial Bank (SCB)

💬 Banker Discussion

Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.

Loading comments…
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=4778&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.
Public beta — plain-English informational summaries. Always verify against the official RBI source (circular number cited on every page) before making compliance, credit, treasury, audit, or operational decisions. · Join our WhatsApp channel ↗