1. PREAMBLE

The Fair Practices Code ("FPC") has been formulated and approved by the Board of Directors of KARN SECURITIES PRIVATE LIMITED ("Company") in accordance with the Master Direction – Reserve Bank of India (Non-Banking Financial Company - Scale Based Regulation) Directions, 2023 issued by the Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”) (“RBI Master Directions”), as amended from time to time.

In accordance with Chapter VII (Fair Practices Code) of the RBI Master Directions, NonBanking Financial Companies(“NBFCs”) having customer interface are required to adopt the guidelines on Fair Practice Code (‘FPC’) prescribed in the RBI Master Directions. The Company, being an NBFC having customer interface, has adopted this FPC for the lending business. The FPC also seeks to incorporate various disclosure requirements prescribed by the guidelines / directions issued by Reserve Bank of India on Digital Lending, and as amended from time to time, as applicable to the Company’s lending business.

2. PURPOSE AND ITS APPLICABILITY

The Company has adopted the FPC for implementation with the objective of ensuring fair and transparent practices while dealing with its customers/ borrowers. This FPC intends to promote good and fair practices by setting minimum standards to be followed while dealing with the customers. Further, the FPC also seeks to increase transparency so that the customers can have better understanding of the products/ services being offered by the Company.

This FPC shall apply across all aspects of the Company’s lending business operations including digital lending, marketing, loan origination, processing, servicing, collection activities etc. The Company’s commitment to the FPC would be demonstrated in terms of employee accountability, monitoring and auditing programs, training and technology.

The Company’s Board of Directors and the management are responsible for establishing practices designed to ensure that its operations reflect a strong commitment to the FPC and that all employees are aware of the FPC.

3. DEFINITIONS

"Authorised Representative" means a person other than an Advocate duly appointed and authorised in writing to represent a complainant in the proceedings before the officials of RBI
"Board" means Board of Directors of the Company;
"Complaint" means any representation made in writing or through other modes alleging deficiency in service on the part of the Company, and/ or seeking relief under the Scheme;
"Company" means KARN SECURITIES PRIVATE LIMITE
"Director" means individual Director or any of the Directors on the Board of the Company;
"FPC" means Fair Practices Code;
"RBI" means Reserve Bank of India

4. NORMS APPLICABLE TO ALL LOAN PRODUCTS OF THE COMPANY:

Applications for Loans and their Processing

(a) All loan products of the Company shall be as per the Loan Policy adopted by the Company
(b) All communications to the borrower shall be in a language understood by the borrower, including vernacular language where applicable. Where the borrower specifically requests communication in another language, the Company shall make reasonable efforts to accommodate such request and ensure that subsequent communications are made in the preferred language, to the extent feasible.
(c) As part of the process and to ensure transparency, the Company, at the application stage, shall provide all necessary information including but not restricted to processing fees/charges, if any, non-refundable fees in case of rejection of loan proposal, pre-payment options etc., which affect the interest of the customer so that a meaningful comparison with the terms and conditions offered by other NBFCs can be made and informed decision can be taken by the customer.
(d) The Company shall provide acknowledgment for receipt of loan applications along with the time frame within which loan applications would be disposed-of
(e) The Company, at loan application stage, shall indicate all the documents required to be submitted along with the application form.
(f) On exercise of choice, the customer would be given the relevant information about the loan product of his/her choice
(g.) The customer would be informed about the status of his/ her application, periodically or upon request. The Company, while accepting loan application shall explain the entire loan process and journey till the sanction and disbursement of loan. The customer shall also be informed about the timelines within which the entire loan process will be completed in the ordinary course of business.
(h) The Company shall provide a Key Fact Statement (KFS) in the format prescribed by RBI, containing APR, all-inclusive cost, penal charges, and recovery-related charges, prior to execution of the loan agreement.

Loan Appraisal Terms and Conditions:

(a) The Company shall scrutinize the information submitted by the customer and, if any additional data is required, it shall seek the same promptly to facilitate expeditious disposal of the loan application.
(b) The Company shall convey key terms and conditions of the proposed loan in writing (in English as it is understood by all customers of the Company), by means of Sanction letter or any other form of written communication and the same shall include

the amount of loan sanctioned along with the terms and conditions including annualized rate of interest;
details of the default interest / Overdue charges (expressed in percentage per month/ annum as the case may be) and the charges payable by the customers in relation to their loan account and method of application thereof;
Overdue charges for late repayment of loan shall be expressly mentioned in bold in 4 the loan agreement
There shall be no capitalisation of overdue charges charged by the Company to the borrower i.e., no further interest will be computed on such overdue charges.
The customer shall provide explicit acceptance of the terms and conditions prior to availing of the loan

(c) The quantum and reason for overdue charges shall be clearly disclosed by the Company to the customers in the loan agreement and most important terms & conditions/Key Fact Statement (“KFS”) as, in addition to being displayed on websites of the Company under Interest rates and Service Charges
(d) If the Company cannot provide the loan to the applicant, it shall endeavour to convey the reason(s) for rejection
(e) The Company shall furnish a copy of the loan agreement in English as understood by the borrower along with copy of all relevant enclosures quoted in the loan agreement to all the borrowers at the time of sanction/disbursement of the loan and shall be duly approved by the customer and countersigned by the authorized officials of the Company

Terms & Conditions:

(a) The Company shall give notice in English as understood by the customer regarding any change in the terms and conditions including disbursement schedule, interest rates, service charges, prepayment charges etc.
(b) The penal charges to be charged by the company for late repayment of loan shall be mentioned in bold letters in the loan agreement.
(c) Penal charges shall not be capitalised and shall not be levied in the form of penal interest. Such charges shall be reasonable, non-discriminatory, and commensurate with the default.
(d) Decision to recall / accelerate payment or performance under the agreement will be in consonance with the loan agreement.

Other terms:

(a) accordance with the laws of the land will be followed for recovery of dues. The process will involve reminding the customer by sending the notice or by making personal visits. In case of default, the Company may refer the case to the recovery agent and will inform the customer of the recovery proceedings being initiated. The Company shall ensure that its process of recovery does not involve harassment to the customer. The Company shall ensure that all recovery agents engaged by it undergo proper due diligence, background verification, and periodic training on RBI guidelines, customer protection, and ethical recovery practices. Appropriate instructions will be provided by the Company to its staff for handling customer queries and grievances cordially. The Company shall ensure that recovery is conducted in a non-coercive manner. Recovery agents shall not resort to intimidation, harassment, or use of abusive language, and shall adhere to prescribed calling hours (Recovery calls shall be made only between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM only).
(b) The Company shall not charge foreclosure charges/ pre-payment penalties on any of the loans sanctioned to individual borrowers
(c) All the fees / charges / interest shall be charged as per the interest rate policy adopted by the Company and as per the terms & conditions applicable to the Loan
(d) The Company shall consider genuine cases of financial difficulty appropriately. The customer should identify any such problem and should let the Company know as soon as possible.
(e) The Company shall collect customer information only for lawful purposes directly related to its lending and business operations. Such information shall be collected with the explicit consent of the borrower and shall be used strictly for the purposes disclosed at the time of collection

The Company shall ensure that all customer information is kept confidential and shall not be disclosed to any third party without the prior consent of the borrower, except as permitted under applicable laws and regulations

The Company may disclose customer information without prior consent under the following circumstances:

Where such disclosure is required by law or regulatory authorities;
Where such disclosure is necessary for compliance with legal or regulatory obligations;
Where such disclosure is made to Credit Information Companies (CICs), banks, financial institutions, or regulatory bodies, including the Reserve Bank of India;
Where such disclosure is required in the interest of the Company for recovery or legal proceedings.

The Company shall implement appropriate data protection and security measures to safeguard customer information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or misuse, in compliance with applicable data protection laws and RBI guidelines.

(f) Customer Rights & Responsibilities: The Company shall ensure that borrowers are made aware of their rights and responsibilities, including the obligation to repay loans on time, provide accurate information, and promptly communicate any financial

Responsibility of Board of Directors:

The Company, with the approval of its Board of Directors, has laid down Grievance Redressal Mechanism (“GRM”) within the organization as per details mentioned in the next paragraph. Such a mechanism ensures that all disputes arising out of the decisions of the Company’s functionaries are heard and disposed-off at least at the next higher level. The Board of Directors shall annually review the compliance of the FPC and the functioning of the GRM. A consolidated report in this regard shall be submitted to the Board every year.

Grievance Redressal Mechanism (“GRM”)

The Company, with the approval of its Board of Directors, shall appoint the Grievance Redressal Officer as Nodal Officer. Below is the Escalation Matrix approved by the Board of Directors of the Company:

First Level

Customer Care

Phone: +91-8810265477

Email: info@karnsecurities.com

If the issue is not resolved within 7 days of raising the issue, the customer may escalate the complaint with the Grievance Officer.

Second Level

Grievance Officer

Name: Ms. Saman Luqman Bilgrami

Phone: +91-8810265477

grievance@karnsecurities.com

If the issue is not resolved within 7 days of raising the issue, the customer shall raise the further issue with the Nodal Officer.

Third Level

Nodal Officer

Name: Ms. Deepanshi

Phone: +91-8810265477

Email: nodal@karnsecurities.com

If any customer dissatisfied with the resolution provided by grievance officer, He/She can reach out to Nodal Officer for resolution

If the customer is not satisfied with the resolution, they may approach the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, as applicable. All grievances shall be resolved within a maximum period of 30 days from the date of receipt, unless otherwise specified by RBI

The details of the Grievance Redressal Officer and escalation mechanism shall be prominently displayed on the Company’s website and at all offices. Details of the RBI Ombudsman Scheme shall also be displayed

Language and Mode of Communicating the FPC:

5. REPOSSESSION CLAUSE

In case of default, the Company may repossess the secured asset in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement and applicable laws. The Company shall ensure that:

Adequate prior notice is given to the borrower;
The borrower is provided an opportunity to regularize the account;
The repossession process is conducted in a fair and transparent manner;
The dignity and rights of the borrower are respected at all times.

6. ADDITIONAL NORMS FOR DIGITAL LENDING OR THE LOANS SOURCED OVER A DIGITAL LENDING PLATFORM:

Norms for Loans Sourced by the Company over Digital Lending Platform/ Apps (“DLAs”)

In case, the Company sources borrowers and/ or to recover dues over digital lending platform (irrespective of whether they lend through their own digital lending platform or through an outsourced lending platform), the Company shall abide by this FPC in letter and spirit and in the manner, it may be applicable to its business. Further, the Company shall follow the following instructions:

Names of digital lending platforms engaged as agents shall be disclosed on the 7 website of the Company.
Digital lending platforms engaged as agents shall be directed to disclose upfront to the customer, the name of the Company on whose behalf they are interacting with him
Immediately after sanction but before execution of the loan agreement, the sanction letter shall be issued to the borrower on the letter head of the Company
A copy of the loan agreement along with a copy each of all enclosures quoted in the loan agreement shall be furnished to all borrowers at the time of sanction/ disbursement of loans.
Effective oversight and monitoring shall be ensured over the digital lending platforms engaged by the Company.
Adequate efforts shall be made towards creation of awareness about the grievance redressal mechanism.

Norms to be followed by the Company with respect to Digital Lending

The Company shall comply with the provisions of guidelines / directions issued by Reserve Bank of India on Digital Lending, and as amended from time to time to the extent applicable. The Company shall ensure that all Lending Service Providers (LSPs) comply with RBI Digital Lending Guidelines, including data privacy, customer consent, and outsourcing norms.

7. REVIEW OF THE FPC

The FPC shall be amended or modified with approval of the Board. The FPC shall be reviewed by the Board on an annual basis. Consequent upon any amendments in RBI Master Directions or any change in the position of the Company, necessary changes in this FPC shall be incorporated and approved by the Board.

Not with standing anything contained in this FPC, in case of any contradiction of the provision of this FPC with any existing legislations, rules, regulations, laws or modification thereof or enactment of a new applicable law, the provisions under such law, legislation, rules, regulation or enactment shall prevail over this FPC