Searching for an "RBI approved loan app"? Start with one fact: RBI does not approve apps. It regulates lenders: banks and NBFCs. A loan app is only as safe as the regulated lender behind it. Since 1 July 2025, RBI has made that easier to check.
RBI's directory of loan apps
On 1 July 2025 the Reserve Bank of India put a public directory of Digital Lending Apps (DLAs) on its website. It lists the apps that RBI-regulated entities (banks and NBFCs) say they have deployed, with the name of the lender behind each one. You find it on rbi.org.in, in the Citizen's Corner section, under the DLAs deployed by regulated entities.
The details in the directory are what the lenders themselves report to RBI. Treat a listing as a strong first check, not a guarantee.
Check any loan app in four steps
- Find the lender's name. A genuine app names the bank or NBFC that actually gives the loan, on its website, in the app and in the loan agreement. No lender named is a red flag.
- Look the app up in RBI's DLA directory. The app and the lender's name should both appear, matching each other.
- Confirm the lender is regulated. Check the bank or NBFC on RBI's own lists of banks and NBFCs, or search the NBFC by name in our RBI NBFC check, which follows RBI's monthly list and also shows companies whose registration RBI cancelled.
- Read the Key Fact Statement before you sign. Every digital loan must come with a KFS showing the APR (the all-in yearly cost) and all fees (what a KFS shows).
Warning signs of a fake loan app
| Genuine digital loan | Likely fraud |
|---|---|
| Names its bank or NBFC | No lender named, or a name you cannot find on RBI's lists |
| Shows a Key Fact Statement before you accept | Hides the cost until after you take the money |
| Pays the loan into your own bank account | Asks you to pay a "fee" first to release the loan |
| Asks only for what KYC needs | Wants access to your contacts, photos or call logs |
| Collects repayment in the lender's own account | Asks for repayment to a person's UPI ID |
| Has a named grievance officer | Threatens you or calls your contacts |
What the RBI rules give you
RBI's Digital Lending Directions, 2025 say, among other things, that the loan is paid into your bank account, that you see the KFS before you sign, that you get a cooling-off period in which you can exit the loan by paying back the principal and the proportionate cost without a penalty, and that the app must not take data from your phone without your clear consent. Our guide on RBI's digital lending rules covers them in detail.
If you have been cheated
- Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 or report on cybercrime.gov.in at once.
- Tell your bank to block any transaction.
- Report unregistered lenders on RBI's Sachet portal.
How Oxon works
Oxon Fintech is a loan platform, not a lender. When you apply, we match you with offers from our lending partners, the regulated banks and NBFCs that give the loan; each offer names its lender, and the money goes from the lender straight to your own account. Oxon never asks for your OTP, PIN, CVV or passwords. More in how to avoid loan fraud.
This guide is general information, not financial advice. Interest rates, fees, eligibility and other terms are set by each lender and can change; the figures in examples are illustrative only. Oxon Fintech is a loan facilitation platform, not a lender — loans are sanctioned and disbursed by our lending partners.