5.16 V-CIP implementation detail

V-CIP (Video Customer Identification Process) is the RBI-compliant way to do KYC remotely. The specifications are tight; even minor non-compliance is an audit finding. This page is the engineering reference.

Authoritative source: RBI’s KYC Master Direction (DBR.AML.BC.No.81/14.01.001/2015-16) as amended, particularly the V-CIP section introduced in 2020 and updated periodically.

RBI V-CIP requirements

The platform’s V-CIP implementation (or its vendor’s) must satisfy:

1. Live, real-time, audio-visual interaction

The session must be live between the customer and the official; no pre-recorded video.
Audio + video mandatory.
End-to-end encrypted transport.

2. Trained official

The official conducting V-CIP must be an employee of the RE or its outsourcing arrangement.
Trained specifically on V-CIP per RE’s policy + RBI requirements.
Identity documented at session start.

3. OVD verification

Customer shows Officially Valid Documents (OVDs) on camera.
Official verifies the OVD against customer’s face (live).
For Aadhaar: only offline Aadhaar XML (not OTP-based) is permitted as OVD in V-CIP for full KYC.

4. Customer photograph

Captured during the session.
Quality sufficient for facial-recognition match against OVD.

5. Live photograph + OVD match

Match score computed by automated face-match.
Below threshold → session fails; re-try or alternate path.

6. Geo-tagging

Customer’s geo-coordinates captured during session.
Must be within India (per RBI requirement that KYC is in India).
Geographic anomalies (customer in IndiaJun but session geo-tagged abroad) → fail.

7. Recording

Entire session recorded (audio + video).
Securely stored with access controls.
Retained per record-retention norms (typically 10 years post-account-closure for AML-relevant records).

8. Random visual cues

Official may ask customer to show random items / perform actions during the session to ensure liveness (e.g., “show your watch”, “blink twice”).
Prevents pre-recorded video spoofing.

9. Sequence and consistency check

Official verifies that the customer’s photograph (live capture) matches the OVD photograph.
Verifies that the OVD’s details (name, DoB) match the customer’s stated details.

10. Audit trail

Every session logged with:
- Date / time start / end.
- Customer identifier.
- Official identifier.
- Vendor (if outsourced).
- Recording URI.
- Geo-coordinates.
- Match scores.
- Outcome (success / fail / retry / abandoned).

Vendor landscape (V-CIP-specific)

Vendor	URL
IDfy	`idfy.com`
Signzy	`signzy.com`
Hyperverge	`hyperverge.co`
Karza / Perfios	`karza.in` / `perfios.com`
Bureau	`bureau.id`
AuthBridge	`authbridge.com`

Each offers V-CIP-as-a-service: their app handles session, recording, face-match, geo-tag; the lender’s app integrates via SDK / API.

Integration shape

Borrower app / web
        │
        ▼
[Lending platform's KYC service initiates V-CIP]
        │
        ▼
[V-CIP vendor SDK / hosted page]
        │
        ├── Borrower opens session
        ├── Vendor's trained operator joins (or AI-assisted)
        ├── Operator verifies OVD (offline Aadhaar XML upload + verification)
        ├── Operator captures borrower's live photo
        ├── Face match scored
        ├── Geo-tag captured
        ├── Random visual cues asked
        ├── Session recorded throughout
        │
        ▼
[Vendor returns session outcome to lending platform]
        │
        ▼
Lending platform stores:
- Session ID
- Recording URI (vendor-hosted or downloaded to lender's S3)
- Outcome + match score + geo-coordinates
- Audit log entry

V-CIP session API (illustrative — varies by vendor)

Initiate session

POST /v1/kyc/vcip/schedule
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer <token>

{
  "kyc_record_id": 71001,
  "borrower_mobile": "tok_mob_xxx",
  "borrower_email": "tok_email_xxx",
  "preferred_language": "en",
  "scheduling": {
    "type": "instant"   // or "scheduled" with specific datetime
  },
  "callback_url": "https://platform.in/webhook/vcip"
}

Response:

{
  "session_id": "vcip_xyz123",
  "vendor": "idfy",
  "session_url": "https://vcip.vendor.com/session/xyz123",
  "expires_at": "2026-04-12T13:00:00Z"
}

Borrower opens `session_url`

Vendor’s app handles the session entirely: video call, OVD upload, face match, geo-tag, recording.

Webhook on completion

POST https://platform.in/webhook/vcip
Content-Type: application/json
X-Vendor-Signature: <HMAC>

{
  "session_id": "vcip_xyz123",
  "status": "success",
  "completed_at": "2026-04-12T11:05:11Z",
  "duration_seconds": 547,
  "outcome": {
    "ovd_type": "aadhaar_offline",
    "ovd_verified": true,
    "face_match_score": 0.94,
    "liveness_passed": true,
    "geo": {
      "latitude": 12.97160,
      "longitude": 77.59456,
      "country": "IN",
      "address_reverse_geo": "Bengaluru, Karnataka"
    },
    "operator_id": "OP-IDfy-001",
    "operator_name": "Vendor Operator Name"
  },
  "recording": {
    "uri": "https://vendor-cdn.com/recording/vcip_xyz123.mp4",
    "duration": 547,
    "format": "mp4",
    "encryption": "AES-256"
  },
  "audit": {
    "audit_log_uri": "https://vendor.com/audit/vcip_xyz123.json"
  }
}

Lender stores

INSERT INTO vcip_session (
    kyc_record_id, vendor, started_at, completed_at,
    outcome, recording_uri, geo_tag_lat, geo_tag_lon,
    operator_id, face_match_score, audit_log_uri
) VALUES (...);

Recording archival

Two options:

Vendor-hosted: Recording stays with vendor; lender retains URI + accesses for audit on demand. Cheaper but vendor-dependent for long-term retention.
Lender-downloaded: Lender downloads recording to own S3 with Object Lock + KMS encryption. Audit-grade; full control.

For RE’s primary records retention, lender-downloaded with own S3 is the safer pattern. Periodic download job; deletion from vendor after confirmed local storage.

Failure modes and remediation

Failure	Cause	Lender action
Face match score below threshold	OVD photo old / different angle	Re-try; manual review of borderline matches
Liveness failed	Borrower used static photo / video spoof	Re-try; suspect fraud if persistent
Geo-tag outside India	Borrower abroad	Decline V-CIP; require in-India session
Operator no-show	Vendor capacity issue	Re-schedule; vendor SLA escalation
Network drop during session	Borrower connectivity	Re-try; allow partial-session continuation
OVD verification failed	Invalid OVD / signature mismatch	Re-try with different OVD
Borrower abandons mid-session	Various	Re-engage; rescue workflow
Audio / video quality poor	Equipment / network	Re-try with guidance

V-CIP for entity borrowers

For entity borrowers, V-CIP is conducted per natural person (each director, each promoter, each BO above threshold). For a Pvt Ltd with 2 directors:

Director 1: V-CIP session 1.
Director 2: V-CIP session 2.
Each session independent; each records audit trail.

The platform’s KYB orchestration tracks completion per promoter and surfaces aggregate readiness for sanction.

V-CIP cost

Per session:

Operator-led: ₹40 – ₹150 (vendor depends + operator availability).
AI-assisted with operator on standby: ₹20 – ₹60.
Pure AI (no operator): cheaper but not RBI-compliant for full V-CIP; only for specific simplified scenarios.

For a 100 disbursements / week volume, V-CIP cost is ~₹0.4 – ₹1.5 lakh / week. Within standard KYC budget.

Operator quality + training

For lender-employed operators (if doing in-house V-CIP):

DRA-equivalent certification preferred.
Training on V-CIP specifically — RBI rules, vendor SDK, edge-case handling.
Periodic QA — sample sessions reviewed by senior operator / compliance.
Performance metrics — completion rate, escalation rate, complaint rate.

For outsourced V-CIP, vendor’s operator training is RE’s diligence concern; verify periodically.

Periodic re-V-CIP

For high-risk customers, periodic V-CIP refresh (every 2 years per KYC MD) may be required. Same flow, lower friction (borrower’s existing data on file).

Compliance audit perspective

Internal / external audit on V-CIP looks for:

Vendor due diligence file.
Recording for any audited sample loan present + playable.
Geo-tag inside India.
Operator identification.
Match scores reasonable.
Audit trail complete (timestamps, operator ID, etc.).
Recording retention compliant.

A missed recording or a geo-tag outside India is a critical audit finding.

What the platform must build

V-CIP orchestration service — vendor-pluggable.
Vendor adapter per vendor (IDfy, Signzy, Hyperverge — at least primary + secondary).
Webhook handler for session completion.
Recording storage in own S3 with Object Lock + retention policy.
Borrower-facing UI that smoothly transitions into vendor session.
Operator dashboard if in-house operators.
Audit reporting per session.