On the other hand, the RBI wants to put an end to the most harmful aspects of the industry, especially related to the invasion of privacy. Regulator says it blocks app access to “mobile phone resources such as files and media, contact list, call logs, telephony functions” and other personal data used to harass borrowers with impunity. Yes, lenders can request microphone and camera access to verify new clients, but the one-time privilege will require the borrower’s explicit consent.

The Indian regulator also requires customers to be informed in advance of the overall cost of interest and given a consultation period during which they can change their mind. Digital apps will be paid for by regulated banks and non-bank financial companies who will engage them as intermediaries, not by borrowers.

Chinese regulators have let banks outsource not just loan distribution but virtually all credit risk management to unregulated software and hardware firms. As a result, they pocketed the bulk of the profits. By contrast, the RBI signals that it would be more comfortable with interest margins split roughly in the middle – between the banks that provide the funds and the digital platforms that issue loans and collect payments. In the event that the company behind the application guarantees part of the lender’s loss from a bad loan, the central bank’s rules on asset securitization will apply. Basically, the RBI does not want credit risk to develop in the shadows – where it has no control.

This is altogether a more sensible approach. Some 1,100 loan apps proliferated in India at the height of the pandemic-induced chaos, promising all manner of quick credit and buy-it-now-pay-later arrangements. More than half of them were operating illegally, many of them leasing the balance sheets of local non-bank financial companies. Some of these underground operators disappeared after converting profits of at least $125 million into cryptocurrencies and transferring them to foreign wallets, according to media reports. The RBI guidelines would go some way to clearing the ground before it becomes a systemic risk.

More from Bloomberg Opinion:

• Why India doesn’t like to buy now, pay later: Andy Mukherjee

• Shoppers pay dearly for credit card rewards: Marc Rubinstein

• Banks suffer from loan difficulties, but not consumers: Paul J. Davies

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editorial Board or of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Andy Mukherjee is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies and financial services in Asia. Previously, he worked for Reuters, the Straits Times and Bloomberg News.

More stories like this are available at bloomberg.com/opinion