| Digital lending | A Key Fact Statement with the APR before the loan is finalised. Being on RBI’s list of digital lending apps (CIMS) must not be shown as RBI approval. Lead-sourcing partners’ content must be unbiased from 1 November 2025. | RBI (Digital Lending) Directions, 2025, RBI/2025-26/36, 8 May 2025 |
| Banks, from 1 January 2027 | Clear, factual ads; no dark patterns such as false urgency or drip pricing; explicit consent; governed DSAs and DMAs; calls between 9 am and 7 pm unless the customer asks otherwise. | RBI Commercial Banks Responsible Business Conduct Second Amendment Directions, RBI/2026-27/115, 15 June 2026 |
| NBFCs, from 1 January 2027 | Ads show the interest rate and fees; eleven dark patterns barred, false urgency and drip pricing among them; the DSA/DMA list, loan service providers included, on your website; consent defaults to “No”; calls between 9 am and 7 pm. | RBI NBFC Responsible Business Conduct Second Amendment Directions, RBI/2026-27/123, 15 June 2026, Annex III |
| Gold loans, from 1 April 2026 | Loan-to-value up to 85% for loans up to 2.5 lakh; on bullet loans, interest due at maturity counts in the LTV, and renewal comes only after interest is paid; no misleading ads; loan terms in the borrower’s language. | RBI (Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral) Directions, 2025, RBI/2025-26/47, 6 June 2025 |
| Google Ads | Financial services advertisers in India are verified with their regulator first. Personal-loan landing pages show the repayment period, the maximum APR, a representative example and the fees. | Google Ads policy: financial services verification and personal loans |
| Meta | Its audience limits for financial products and services ads (ages 18 to 65+, all genders, no lookalikes) are required in the US, Canada and Europe; for ads reaching only India, they are optional. India verification covers securities and investment ads. | Meta Marketing API: Special Ad Categories; Meta’s India verification post, 26 June 2025 |