In April this year, Union Bank of India became the first public-sector bank to join the AA framework as a financial information user (FIU) and a financial information provider (FIP). An FIU can request customer data from a FIP with customers’ consent to provide services like loans, wealth management, etc. Handa said the AA framework provides better risk monitoring capability, eases digital banking processes, gives customers access to new and innovative lending products, reductes turn around time (TAT) for processing of loans, provides easier access of credit to the unorganised sector, and other benefits.