Reserve Bank of India governor Malhotra urges fintech firms to protect customers data and strengthen cybersecurity as AI's role in finance grows, warning AI can cause bias and exclusion, raise cyber and data-privacy risks, and weaken human judgment.

2026-09-10

Reserve Bank of India governor Malhotra urges fintech firms to protect customers data and strengthen cybersecurity as AI's role in finance grows, warning AI can cause bias and exclusion, raise cyber and data-privacy risks, and weaken human judgment. He said addressing these risks is essential to preserving consumer trust and that the RBI is reviewing broader technology risks. Deputy governor Jain flagged banks' reliance on a small number of common tech providers as a potential threat to financial stability. Malhotra said large firms must be managed not only because they are too big to fail but because they are too important to be treated carelessly, and he warned fintechs against exploiting regulatory gaps or expanding quickly without seeking clear guidance from regulators. He said regulation and innovation are complementary pillars of a resilient financial ecosystem.