Paytm Payments Bank Seeks To Hire External Firm To Audit Compliance, KYC — Exclusive

The bank has floated this RFP on a restricted basis to external auditors and hence, it is not available in the public domain, as the people quoted above said on the condition of anonymity.

The purpose behind this RFP is an audit of the bank for compliance and the know-your-customer process, according to three people quoted above.

By initiating this audit, Paytm Payments Bank also wants to show the Reserve Bank of India that it is compliant in all ways, as the first person quoted above said.

On Jan. 31, RBI cracked down on the associate company of One97 Communications Ltd. for "persistent non-compliance" and major "supervisory concerns."

In its orders, the regulator said that Paytm Payments Bank can't accept fresh deposits, top-ups or credit transactions in its accounts after Feb. 29.

NDTV Profit previously reported that inadequate KYC procedures, which led to transactions worth crores of rupees, were one of the major reasons for the RBI to impose curbs on Paytm Payments Bank. The regulator also found material lapses in the company's conduct.

In response to this action, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder and chief executive officer of One97 Communications, also met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to seek help but was shown the door, according to people familiar with the matter.