Each rule becomes a setting in the dialler, a line in the script or a field in the DPA; none of them is a training slide. The Reserve Bank's recovery directions, issued on 6 August 2026 and in force from 1 January 2027, restrict recovery calls to 8 am to 7 pm, require every call to be recorded and the borrower told, require the recording to be kept at least six months (longer while a dispute is open), and require a named grievance officer in recovery communication.
The rules, as they apply to a call
| Rule (in force 1 Jan 2027) | Where it lives on a Human + AI floor |
|---|---|
| Calls between 8 am and 7 pm | The dialler window. A call outside it cannot be placed, by the AI or by a person on the same queue. |
| Every recovery call recorded | Every call on the platform is recorded, transcribed and scored, AI and human legs alike. |
| Borrower told the call is recorded | The first line of the script, in the borrower's language, before any account detail. |
| Recording kept at least six months, longer while a dispute is open | Retention set in the DPA; six months from the call is the collections default; dispute flag extends it. |
| Named grievance officer in recovery communication | A field in the script and the SMS or WhatsApp follow-up, filled from your DPA. |
The directions were issued as nine circulars on 6 August 2026, unifying recovery conduct across banks, NBFCs and HFCs, after the earlier 1 October 2026 date was moved. The summary above is from public reporting checked on 8 November 2026; your counsel decides what applies to your book.
What changes in the call itself
Less than lenders fear, if the controls are in the software: the window is a dialler setting, the notice is one line, and the recording already happens. What does change is the frequency: the new frame on harassment makes repeat attempts a conduct question, so the frequency cap per borrower per day becomes a setting you decide and we enforce, and a borrower who asks not to be called again is a disposition that stops the dialler, where a note in a CRM would not.
The human leg matters here too. A person who joins a call on the same queue inherits the same window, the same recording and the same do-not-say list, because the floor is one system. A separate agency on a separate dialler does not.
What to have ready before January
- The contact-window and frequency settings per bucket, written down and loaded.
- The recording notice in each language you call in.
- The grievance officer's name and contact, in the script and in the follow-up templates.
- The retention period in your DPA, with the dispute extension.
- A way to produce a recording and its transcript on request, in minutes, from the whole book and never from a sample.
Questions people ask
What are the RBI recovery-call rules from 1 January 2027?
Recovery calls between 8 am and 7 pm, every call recorded with the borrower told, recordings kept at least six months and longer while a dispute is open, and a named grievance officer in recovery communication. Issued 6 August 2026 as nine circulars.
Can voice AI comply with the RBI recovery rules?
Yes, when the controls are in the software: the window and frequency caps gate the dialler, the notice opens the script, every call is recorded and retention is set in the DPA.
Does the human agent on a handover follow the same rules?
On a Human + AI floor the person joins the same queue and inherits the same window, recording and script rules. A separate agency on a separate dialler does not.