NBFC registration is the formal process of obtaining a Certificate of Registration (CoR) from the Reserve Bank of India that authorizes a company to carry on financial business — including lending, investments, leasing, factoring, and similar activities. Without a valid CoR, no company can legally operate as a Non-Banking Financial Company in India.
NBFC registration is a detailed, scrutiny-heavy process. RBI evaluates the promoter background, source of capital, business plan, risk framework, IT readiness, and Fit & Proper criteria of directors before granting the CoR. Every documentation gap or inconsistency can delay approval by months — which is why NBFC registration requires specialist hands.
We provide end-to-end NBFC registration services — from selecting the right NBFC category, structuring capital to meet Net Owned Funds (NOF), preparing business plans and policies, filing the online application, and responding to RBI queries until the CoR is issued.
₹10 Cr
Minimum Net Owned Funds
RBI
Certificate of Registration (CoR)
4-6
Months typical timeline
COSMOS
RBI’s online application portal
Regulations & Frameworks We Align With
RBI Act, 1934
Companies Act, 2013
RBI Master Directions
SBR Framework
Fit & Proper Criteria
FEMA & FDI Policy
PMLA
Fair Practices Code
FAQs on NBFC Registration
Who needs to register as an NBFC?
Any company whose principal business is to carry on financial activities such as lending, investment, leasing, hire purchase, or acquisition of shares and securities must obtain a Certificate of Registration (CoR) from the RBI before commencing business. The “principal business” test requires that over 50% of the company’s assets and 50% of its income come from financial activities.
What is the minimum Net Owned Funds (NOF) requirement?
The RBI has revised the minimum NOF requirement to ₹10 crore for most NBFCs, to be achieved in a phased manner by the notified timelines. Specialized categories have different thresholds — IFC at ₹300 crore, HFC at ₹20 crore, P2P and Account Aggregators at ₹2 crore. We assess the right threshold for your category before structuring capital.
How long does NBFC registration take?
The NBFC registration process typically takes 4 to 6 months from filing to CoR grant, depending on completeness of documentation, RBI’s queries, and background verification of promoters. Well-prepared applications with strong business plans and clean promoter backgrounds tend to move faster through the system.
What are Fit and Proper Criteria for directors?
Fit and Proper Criteria is an RBI standard requiring NBFC directors to have integrity, good reputation, relevant qualifications, financial soundness, and absence of adverse regulatory actions. Declarations and background checks are required for every director during registration and updated annually thereafter.
Can I start lending before receiving the CoR?
No. Any company carrying on NBFC activities without a valid CoR is in violation of Section 45-IA of the RBI Act and may attract heavy penalties, criminal prosecution, and forced closure. Lending operations can only commence after the Certificate of Registration is received from RBI.
Can foreign investors hold stake in an NBFC?
Yes. 100% FDI is allowed in NBFCs under the automatic route for 18 specified financial activities, subject to minimum capitalization norms under the FDI policy. FEMA compliance, FC-GPR filing, and pricing guidelines must be adhered to for every foreign investment round.
Can I buy an existing NBFC instead of a fresh registration?
Yes. Many promoters choose to acquire an existing NBFC as it is usually faster than a fresh CoR application. However, any change in management or shareholding above prescribed limits requires prior RBI approval, along with thorough due diligence of the target NBFC’s portfolio, compliance record, and legacy risks.
What happens after the CoR is granted?
Once the CoR is issued, the NBFC becomes fully operational and falls under continuous RBI supervision. Ongoing compliances include statutory audit, periodic RBI returns (NBS-1, NBS-2, NBS-7, ALM), CRAR maintenance, Fair Practices Code, KYC/AML, Scale-Based Regulatory (SBR) compliance, and digital lending guidelines where applicable.