The Internal Ombudsman mechanism should be more than words on paper; it should operate with the spirit and diligence necessary to resolve issues impartially and promptly, he said.
Bank boards, he said, should work towards building customer-centric banks where every individual, regardless of age, income, or background, feels valued and respected.
Customer-centric governance should be evident in every policy, process, and service touchpoint. More so when it comes to treating your customers fairly and in a transparent manner, he said.
“As I have said before, this is an area where we are significantly focussing to enhance the customers’ trust in the system and will not hesitate to act in case a supervisory intervention is considered necessary,” Swaminathan said.
The Deputy Governor also asked the board members of banks, particularly the chair of the Customer Service Committee, to ensure that KYC guidelines are followed with both precision and empathy. “The Reserve Bank will not hesitate to take regulatory or supervisory actions against entities that fail to address these concerns in a timely and considerate manner,” said.
He further said while traditional governance responsibilities such as financial oversight and risk management will continue to remain top priorities, going ahead, boards need to embrace technology, drive digital transformations, adopt customer centricity, and ensure ethical leadership.