ICAI–RBI MoU Ushers in Real-Time UDIN Verification, Boosting Transparency and Regulatory Confidence

2026-02-10 11:57:28 News & Society

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to facilitate real-time verification of Unique Document Identification Numbers (UDINs) through a secure Application Programming Interface (API) integration.

The MoU aims to strengthen transparency, authenticity and regulatory confidence in financial documents certified by Chartered Accountants by enabling seamless validation of UDINs within RBI's systems.

The signing ceremony took place on 6 February 2026 at ICAI Bhawan, New Delhi, during the ICAI Council Meeting. The event was presided over by CA. Charanjot Singh Nanda, President, ICAI, in the presence of CA. Prasanna Kumar D, Vice-President, ICAI, and CA. (Dr.) Jai Kumar Batra, Secretary, ICAI. Representing the Reserve Bank of India were Mr. Ashok Kumar, General Manager, RBI, along with other senior officials. Also present were CA. Satish Kumar Gupta, Convenor, UDIN Directorate, CA. Chandrashekhar Vasant Chitale, Deputy Convenor, UDIN Directorate, and Central Council Members of ICAI.

On this occasion, CA. Charanjot Singh Nanda, President, ICAI, said, "The UDIN initiative has significantly strengthened the authenticity of documents certified by Chartered Accountants. This collaboration with the Reserve Bank of India marks a major step in enhancing regulatory oversight and reinforcing trust in the financial ecosystem through technology-driven verification mechanisms."

This collaboration emanates from RBI's ongoing end-to-end digital transformation initiative aimed at streamlining and automating regulatory application processing through a centralized technology platform. As part of this modernization effort, RBI sought integration of the UDIN system through a secure API to enable real-time validation of CA-certified documents submitted in support of applications by banks, NBFCs, and other regulated entities. The integration is expected to enhance due diligence, reduce manual intervention, strengthen data integrity, mitigate risks associated with misuse of certified documents, and contribute to improved regulatory efficiency and ease of doing business.

UDIN Statistics

The Unique Document Identification Number (UDIN) system has witnessed remarkable adoption since its inception in 2019. As on date, over 10 crore UDINs have been generated by Chartered Accountants across the country. Further, more than 3.2 crore UDINs have been verified and validated by regulators, government authorities, and other stakeholders, reflecting the growing trust and reliance on UDIN as a robust mechanism for ensuring authenticity and integrity in document certification.

About ICAI

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is a statutory body set up by an Act of Parliament under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 for the regulation and development of the profession of Chartered Accountancy in India. The Institute functions under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. With over 14.5 Lakh Members and Students, today ICAI is the largest professional accountancy body in the world. ICAI has a wide network of 5 Regional Councils and 179 Branches within India and a global presence with 54 Overseas Chapters and 31 Representative Offices spanning 85 cities across 47 Countries worldwide.