The ‘Pre-Bid Meeting’ for the development of CMS 2.0 was conducted at 3PM on January 19, 2026 at Conference Room, 1st Floor, CEPD, CO.
2. The meeting was chaired by CGM, CEPD CO. Following prospective bidders attended the meeting:
3. In her opening remarks, CGM, CEPD CO highlighted some of the key expectations from the prospective CMS solutions. As a part of deliberations during the meeting, following queries / issues were raised / discussed. The response/ clarifications given by the Bank with respect to each of these queries / issues are as follows:
| Sl No. | Query | Bank’s response |
| 1. | Is RBI open to a cloud / native-cloud / hybrid deployment model for CMS 2.0? | It was clarified that CMS 2.0 is required to be deployed on-premises. Cloud, hosted private cloud, or hybrid models are not under consideration. |
| 2. | Can a build-from-scratch solution be proposed instead of a COTS product? | RBI is specifically looking for a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) product that is already established and proven in production. Build-from-scratch solutions are not envisaged under this EOI. |
| 3. | Is RBI looking for an OEM-led or System Integrator (SI)-led engagement? | RBI’s focus is product-centric, not organisation-centric. Both OEM-led and SI-led bids are acceptable. However, the bid must clearly demonstrate the capability of a single identified product. RBI will enter into one contract with one bidder, who will be responsible for end-to-end delivery. |
| 4. | Can one bidder propose multiple products to meet different functional requirements? | A single bid must be based on one product only. Multiple products in a single bid are not envisaged, as evaluation is product-based and comparative assessment would otherwise not be feasible. |
| 5. | Can multiple bidders propose the same OEM product? | One-to-one OEM–SI relationship is expected per bid. Allowing multiple bidders to present the same product is not expected. |
| 6. | Will OEM references be accepted if the SI has not independently implemented the product? | Since evaluation is product-centric, OEM implementation references are acceptable, even if the SI has not independently implemented that product earlier. |
| 7. | Can SI experience with other CRM products be counted if partnering with a specific OEM? | Only experience and references related to the product being proposed will be considered. Experience with other products or platforms will not be counted. |
| 8. | Can OEM and SI jointly meet eligibility criteria (technical and financial)?
| Yes, subject to conditions:
i. Product capability and references must come from the OEM.
ii. Financial strength and guarantees may be supported by the SI, as the contracting entity.
iii. The bidder signing the contract will be responsible for all obligations. |
| 9. | Is India-specific implementation mandatory? | India implementation is not mandatory, but it carries higher weightage in the scoring matrix. Products implemented in India score higher due to the need for local integrations. |
| 10. | Can reference letters deviate from the exact format specified in the EOI due to NDAs? | Yes. While reference letters as per EOI format are preferred, RBI will examine alternate documentary evidence (such as production sign-offs, deployment confirmations, or POs) on a case-by-case basis where NDA constraints exist. |
| 11. | Can client references without commercial value disclosure be submitted? | Yes. If certain commercial details cannot be disclosed due to client policies or NDAs, bidders may submit the available documents. RBI will assess them appropriately. |
| 12. | Are the eligibility thresholds for number of users and complaint volumes negotiable? | The eligibility criteria specified in the EOI including user base and complaint volumes are fixed and will not be relaxed. |
| 13. | Are the figures of ~15 lakh complaints per year final? | The figures reflect actual volumes with reasonable headroom. The system must be capable of handling these volumes and future growth. |
| 14. | Is the proposed Universal Grievance Portal part of the current EOI scope? | The Universal Grievance Portal is envisaged in later phases of implementation of CMS 2.0. CMS 2.0 should be architecturally ready for the requirement. |
| 15. | Will CMS 2.0 be required to support multilingual processing internally? | Internal processing will continue in English, with support for use of other languages to the extent feasible. However:
• Complainants must be able to lodge complaints in multiple Indian languages.
• Responses in the complainant’s language are required. |
| 16. | Does “on-premises” restrict internet-based access for users? | On-premises deployment refers to where the system and data are hosted, not how users access it. The system may be accessed securely over the internet, including remote access, provided data does not reside outside RBI’s infrastructure. |
| 17. | Are NDA and Integrity Pact required to be on stamp paper? | The prospective bidders may follow the requirements as given in the EoI. |