What Is the Data Quality Index
The Data Quality Index (DQI) is a composite score assigned by CICs to each Credit Institution's credit information submissions. It measures the quality of the data submitted — not just whether the file was received on time, but whether the content is accurate, complete, timely, and internally consistent.
The DQI is not merely an internal quality metric. It is reported to RBI through the DAKSH portal on a half-yearly basis, and CICs are required to place DQI performance before their Board sub-committees semi-annually. Credit Institutions with persistently poor DQI scores face escalating regulatory consequences — including being reported to RBI's Department of Supervision.
The Four DQI Parameters
| Parameter | Weight | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | 30% | Correctness of data fields reported — name, address, PAN, account details, outstanding balance |
| Completeness | 30% | Percentage of mandatory fields populated without blanks or nulls. Missing fields are the most common DQI failure mode |
| Timeliness | 25% | Adherence to reporting reference date deadlines. Late submissions directly reduce DQI score |
| Consistency | 15% | Alignment between related fields — e.g., outstanding balance vs. overdue amount, account status vs. DPD |
The weight distribution reflects the RBI's priorities. Accuracy and Completeness together account for 60% of the DQI score — because an incomplete or inaccurate credit record is worse than no record at all from a credit assessment perspective.
The New Two-Tier DQI Delivery Framework — Effective July 1, 2026
The Amendment Directions of December 2025 introduce a fundamentally different DQI delivery structure. Under the current framework, CICs provide one monthly DQI report per Credit Institution. From July 1, 2026, the framework becomes two-tier:
The Weighted Average DQI Formula
Para 20(3) of the Amendment Directions mandates that the CI-level monthly DQI must be computed as the weighted average of file-level DQIs, weighted by number of records per file:
DAKSH Portal Reporting — The Regulatory Escalation Path
CICs must report non-compliant Credit Institutions — those that miss submission deadlines — to RBI's Department of Supervision through the DAKSH portal on a half-yearly basis (March 31 and September 30 each year). This creates a direct regulatory escalation path from poor DQI performance to RBI supervisory action.
Additionally, the CIC Board sub-committee must review DQI performance data semi-annually. CICs that do not have adequate DQI governance frameworks — or that have Board sub-committees that are not genuinely engaging with DQI data — face potential findings in RBI inspections.
The Most Common DQI Failure Modes
From an advisory perspective, the most common DQI failures we encounter are not random — they follow predictable patterns rooted in LMS system limitations and operational process gaps:
LMS does not populate all TUDF/Metro 2 mandatory fields. Data extraction leaves blanks rather than defaulting to required placeholder values.
LMS NPA logic does not accurately compute Days Past Due — leading to mismatches between the DPD field and the account status field, triggering consistency failures.
Manual processes for generating and transmitting the credit information file miss the reference date deadline — especially on months where the reference date falls around weekends or holidays.
Customer name, address, and PAN discrepancies between the LMS and the CIC-returned data — often stemming from data entry inconsistencies at origination.
Is your DQI score where it needs to be for July 2026?
A DQI audit will identify your specific failure modes and build an LMS-level remediation plan before the new framework comes into force.
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