RBI proposes multilayer system and stricter norms for NBFCs 23 Jan 2021 A securityman stands guard in front of the Reserve Bank of India building in New Delhi. File/ Reuters The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) proposed a four-layered structure for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and new norms to strengthen their governance and operations. The RBI, in a discussion paper, proposed to differentiate between NBFCs depending upon the layer they belong to, such as base and middle. “To sum up, regulatory and supervisory framework of NBFCs shall be based on a four-layered structure - ‘Base Layer, Middle Layer, Upper Layer and a possible Top Layer’,” it read.