Mastercard Gives New Audit To India After Ban Over Data Handling: Report

The RBI has given no details beyond a seven-line statement announcing the ban.

Mastercard has submitted a new audit report to Reserve Bank of India (RBI), it told Reuters, as it seeks to overturn a ban on card issuance linked to concerns over the U.S. giant's handling of data processed abroad. The RBI on July 14 sent panic-waves through banking partners in the country by announcing a ban, effective from July 22, to prevent the US giant from issuing new cards. It cited non-compliance with 2018 rules that required it to store payments data only in India. The RBI imposed the ban after deciding a "system audit report" submitted by Mastercard's auditor Deloitte in April was unsatisfactory, three sources familiar with its decision-making said, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. Two of the sources said the RBI was reviewing the new report. In a statement to Reuters, Mastercard said Deloitte performed a "supplemental audit" and a new report was submitted on July 20 to the RBI, six days after the ban was announced.