Digital
RBI proposes Rs 25,000 compensation cap for small digital fraud losses
RBI, customer bank and beneficiary bank will share payouts
NATIONAL: The Reserve Bank of India has proposed a new compensation framework for small-value fraudulent electronic banking transactions, requiring the central bank, the customer’s bank and the beneficiary’s bank to share payouts to affected customers.
Under draft rules released on Friday, compensation will be capped at the lower of 85 per cent of the net loss amount or Rs 25,000 in cases where the gross loss from a fraudulent electronic transaction is up to Rs 50,000.
The proposal comes as regulators step up efforts to strengthen customer protection amid a rise in digital banking frauds.
RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra had indicated during last month’s monetary policy announcement that the central bank planned to introduce a compensation framework for small-value digital frauds, allowing affected customers to claim relief once during their lifetime.
According to the draft guidelines, when the loss is below Rs 29,412, compensation of 85 per cent of the loss will be paid. Of this amount, 65 per cent will be borne by the RBI, while the customer’s bank and the beneficiary bank will contribute 10 per cent each.
For losses of Rs 29,412 or more but up to Rs 50,000, the compensation will be capped at Rs 25,000. In such cases, the RBI will contribute Rs 19,118, while the customer’s bank and the beneficiary bank will each contribute Rs 2,941.
If funds are later recovered after compensation has been paid, the customer’s bank must recalculate the payout based on the revised net loss and adjust the recovered amount accordingly.
Customers will be eligible for compensation only if they report the fraudulent transaction within five calendar days of its occurrence.
Complaints must be lodged both with the bank and through the National Cyber Crime reporting portal or the National Cyber Crime helpline. Banks must also confirm that the loss is bona fide under their internal processes.
Once a complaint is received, banks must compensate the customer within five calendar days, the draft rules state.
In joint accounts, only one account holder may submit a compensation claim.
The central bank has also proposed tightening transaction alerts by mandating instant SMS notifications for all electronic banking transactions above Rs 500. For transactions of up to Rs 500, banks may decide whether to send alerts based on internal policies.
Banks will not be allowed to charge customers for SMS messages sent to meet regulatory requirements or those used for promotional, marketing or customer awareness purposes.
The draft framework also calls for stronger oversight by requiring banks to periodically report complaints related to fraudulent electronic transactions to their boards or board-level committees. These reports must detail the number and value of cases across categories including card-present transactions, card-not-present transactions, internet banking, mobile banking and ATM transactions.
The RBI has invited public comments on the draft guidelines until 6 April, 2026. The rules are expected to take effect on 1 July, 2026 once finalised.
Banking officials say the proposed sharing of compensation between the RBI, the customer’s bank and the beneficiary bank is intended to increase vigilance across the digital payments ecosystem.
Digital
OpenAI’s Stargate lead Peter Hoeschele exits with two senior leaders
Trio behind compute push set to join new startup amid leadership reshuffle
SAN FRANCISCO: Peter Hoeschele, a key figure behind OpenAI’s early Stargate data centre initiative, has exited the company, according to a report by The Information.
The departure is part of a broader leadership shift, with two other senior executives, Shamez Hemani and Anuj Saharan, also set to leave in the coming days. All three are expected to join the same new startup, although details about the venture remain under wraps.
The trio played a central role in OpenAI’s Stargate effort, an initiative aimed at building large-scale data centre capacity in-house to reduce reliance on external infrastructure providers. Their exits mark a notable moment for the company’s compute strategy as it continues to scale rapidly.
OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to The Information, “We’re grateful for the contributions Peter, Shamez, and Anuj have made to OpenAI and wish them the very best in what comes next.” The company also pointed to the recent appointment of Sachin Katti to lead its industrial compute organisation, signalling continuity in its infrastructure roadmap.
OpenAI has indicated that it does not plan to directly replace Hoeschele’s role, suggesting a possible restructuring of responsibilities within the team.
As competition intensifies in the race to build next-generation AI systems, leadership changes in core infrastructure teams are likely to draw close attention. For now, the spotlight shifts to what this departing trio builds next, and how OpenAI adapts as it scales its ambitions.
