Read below for the different banking sector reforms in India over the years.
| Year | Banking Acts and Reforms | Description |
| 1860 | Societies Registration Act | Allowed the formation of a society or organization of seven or more people. It was based on literary, scientific, or charitable purposes. |
| 1881 | Negotiable Instrument Act | Defined and amended the rules for negotiable instruments like cheques, promissory notes, etc. |
| 1882 | Indian Trusts Act | Legally defines a trust and trustee by law and helps recognize them. |
| 1891 | The Bankers’ Books Evidence Act | Allowed bankers to use their financial books like ledgers as evidence of records. |
| 1899 | Indian Stamp Act | Defined and amended rules about stamp duty and their transactions. |
| 1912 | Co-operative Societies Act | Consolidates the rules for the functioning of registered co-operative societies |
| 1925 | Provident Funds Act | Mandated pension and provident funds for the employees in an organization |
| 1934 | Indian Partnership Act | Defined the partnership among two or more people who share business profits. |
| 1934 | The Reserve Bank of India Act | This act was the formation act for the RBI in 1935. |
| 1938 | Insurance Act | Provided a legal framework for the regulation and monitoring of the insurance sector |
| 1944 | Central Excise Act | It led to the formation and regulation of laws for excise duty on services and goods. |
| 1944 | Public Debt Act | Provided a legal and regulatory framework for government securities |
| 1945 | International Monetary Fund and Bank Act | It led to the International Monetary Fund formation. |
| 1948 | Employees’ State Insurance Act | Provided benefits to employees for sickness, injury, and maternity. |
| 1948 | The Industrial Finance Corporation of India Act | It formed the Industrial Finance Corporation of India. This organization provided long-term loans to the industrial sector. |
| 1949 | The Banking Companies (Legal Practitioner Clients’ Accounts) Act | It restricts and monitors the transactions by legal practitioners for banking companies. |
| 1949 | The Industrial Disputes Act | Solves industrial disputes related to banking and insurance companies. |
| 1949 | The Banking Regulation Act | Responsible for regulation of all Indian banking companies |
| 1949 | Chartered Accountants Act | Responsible for regulation of the Chartered Accountant profession in India |
| 1950 | Contingency Fund of India Act | Responsible for establishing the Contingency Fund of India |
| 1951 | The State Financial Corporations Act | Responsible for establishing the State Financial Corporations |
| 1952 | Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act | Mandates factories and other organizations to provide pension and deposit-linked insurance to employees. |
| 1953 | The Reserve Bank of India (Amendment and Misc. Provisions) Act | Responsible for providing provisions relating to high denomination notes |
| 1955 | The Industrial Disputes (Banking Companies) Decision Act | Responsible for modification to the decisions by the Labour Appellate Tribunal |
| 1955 | The State Bank of India Act | Responsible for the RBI acquiring a controlling stake in the Imperial Bank of India |
| 1956 | Life Insurance Corporation Act | Responsible for establishing the Life Insurance Corporation of India |
| 1956 | Companies Act | Responsible for enabling company formations through registrations and setting basic duties of companies. |
| 1956 | Central Sales Tax Act | It lays the tax restrictions for imported goods in the state. |
| 1959 | The State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act | Responsible for the transfer of eight princely state banks into SBI subsidiaries |
| 1959 | The Subsidiary Banks General Regulation | Provides provisions for management, control, and constitution of subsidiary banks |
| 1961 | The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act | Responsible for the formation of a corporation to provide insurance of deposits and guarantee the credit facilities |
| 1962 | Customs Act | It formed and amended laws for customs |
| 1963 | Unit Trust of India Act | Responsible for the formation of Unit Trust of India: A public sector investment institution |
| 1963 | Limitation Act | Provided a time limit in which an individual can approach the courts for different lawsuits |
| 1964 | Nationalization of Banks Act | Responsible for the nationalization of India’s 14 major commercial banks |
| 1965 | Banking Laws (Application to Co-operative Societies) Act | Responsible for the applicability of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to co-operative banks |
| 1969 | Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Act | Allowed acquiring and transferring of specific banking companies for national development |
| 1970 | The Nationalized Banks Scheme | Provided management and other miscellaneous provisions for the Nationalized Banks |
| 1976 | The Regional Rural Banks Act | Responsible for the establishment of India’s Regional Rural Banks |
| 1976 | Foreign Contribution Act | Responsible for monitoring and regulation of utility and acceptability of foreign contributions |
| 1981 | The Export-Import Bank of India Act | Responsible for the formation of the Export-Import bank of India for providing security to India’s exporters and importers |
| 1981 | The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act | Responsible for the formation of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development for credit to small businesses |
| 1982 | Chit Fund Act | Responsible for providing regulations and rules relating to chit funds |
| 1985 | Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions)Act | Responsible for identifying sick companies and help them revive or recover |
| 1985 | Shipping Development Fund Committee Act | Responsible for the abolition of Shipping Development Fund Committee |
| 1985 | Banking Companies Rules | Responsible for adding regulations for Nominations |
| 1987 | The National Housing Bank Act | Establishment of the National Housing Bank to promote finance institutions for housing |
| 1989 | SIDBI Act | Responsible for the establishment of the Small Industries Development Bank of India |
| 1990 | SIDBI General Regulations | Responsible for establishing rules for SIDBI operations |
| 1992 | Securities and Exchange Board of India Act | Responsible for regulation and monitoring of India’s security markets |
| 1992 | The Special Court Act | Responsible for the formation of the Special Court to monitor offenses relating to security transactions |
| 1993 | The Industrial Finance Corporation Act | Responsible for repealing the Industrial Finance Corporation and its establishment as a Public Company |
| 1993 | Recovery of Debts due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act | Responsible for establishing laws for debt rulings and recovery by banks and financial institutions |
| 1994 | Debts Recovery Appellate Tribunal Rules | Responsible for provisions for recovering debt known as Debt Recovery Tribunals |
| 1997 | Industrial Reconstruction Bank Act | Responsible for allowing the transfer of specific banking company undertakings for economic growth |
| 1999 | Foreign Exchange Management Act | Responsible for amending and providing provisions for foreign exchange |
| 1999 | Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act | Responsible for the formation of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority |
| 2002 | Prevention of Money Laundering Act | Responsible for providing money laundering prevention provisions and the further consequences |
| 2002 | Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act | Provisions for reducing fiscal deficit and the improvement of fund and macroeconomic management |
| 2002 | The Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act | Responsible for allowing property auctions to recover bank loans |
| 2003 | Industrial Development Bank Act | Responsible for making the Industrial Development Bank a company |
| 2005 | Credit Information Companies Act | Responsible for the regulation of credit information companies and efficient credit distribution |
| 2006 | Government Securities Act | Responsible for provisions for the improvement of government securities market |
| 2006 | The Banking Ombudsman Scheme | Responsible for allowing customers to register complaints when they’re unhappy with banking services |
| 2011 | Factoring Act Rules | Responsible for providing the Factoring Business a formal definition |
| 2011 | SARFAESI (Central Registry) Rules | Responsible for making the Central Registry a part of SARFAESI for the prevention of money laundering or frauds |
| 2014 | Securities Law (Amendment) Act | Responsible for allowing SEBI to go after fraudulent activities and investment schemes |
| 2014 | The Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Act | Responsible for allowing the government to issue and authorize the capital for the Regional Rural Banks |
| 2015 | The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act | Responsible for providing IRDAI with flexibility for functioning |
| 2015 | The Companies Act (Amended) | Responsible for allowing company formations without a minimum paid-up capital |