AML compliance consulting in India has moved from a niche advisory service to a regulatory necessity. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) now covers banks, fintechs, crypto exchanges, dealers in precious metals and stones, real estate agents, casinos and other designated businesses. The FATF’s 2024 mutual evaluation of India raised the bar further, calling out supervision gaps in the non-financial sector and pushing regulators to widen their enforcement reach. FIU-IND’s January 2026 guidelines for Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers added mandatory annual independent AML audits and cybersecurity reviews to the compliance stack.
For regulated businesses across India and globally, the question is no longer whether AML compliance is required. It is whether your compliance program is strong enough to survive regulatory scrutiny.
This guide explains the full range of AML consulting services that Compliance7 delivers, the types of organizations that need them and how a structured compliance program protects your business from penalties, enforcement actions and reputational damage.
Compliance7 is an AML consulting firm in India led by CAMS-certified professionals, providing AML/CFT compliance advisory, AML audits, independent AML reviews, FIU-IND compliance support and AML/KYC services for banks, fintechs, VASPs, DPMS and other regulated businesses. Compliance7 Consulting provides end-to-end AML/CFT consulting in India for reporting entities of every size and category, from banks and NBFCs to fintechs, crypto platforms, jewellers and real estate businesses.
AML/CFT consulting services in India
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) consulting in India starts with building the compliance framework that regulators expect. Managing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) obligations can be complex, particularly for small to medium-sized businesses, professional service firms and financial institutions that lack dedicated compliance infrastructure.
Businesses often engage an AML consultant when building or reviewing AML/CFT compliance programs. Compliance7 works as an independent AML consultant for fintechs, VASPs, DPMS and other reporting entities. Compliance7’s AML/CFT compliance consulting services cover the entire lifecycle of a compliance program.
| Services | Covered by Compliance7 |
|---|---|
| AML Risk Assessment | Yes |
| AML Audit | Yes |
| Independent AML Review | Yes |
| FIU-IND Registration | Yes |
| STR/CTR Filing Support | Yes |
| KYC Program Design | Yes |
| AML Training | Yes |
Risk Assessment
Every effective AML program begins with a risk assessment. Compliance7 evaluates your business exposure to money laundering and terrorism financing risks based on your products, services, customer base, geographies and delivery channels. The assessment follows FATF methodology and is tailored to your sector, whether you operate as a bank, fintech, VASP or dealer in precious metals and stones (DPMS).
AML Policy and Procedure Development
Once the risk assessment is complete, Compliance7 creates or enhances your AML/CFT policy framework, including customer due diligence procedures, transaction monitoring processes, suspicious activity escalation workflows and record-keeping protocols. Policies are board-approved, sector-specific documents, not generic templates.
AML/CFT Compliance Reviews
Regular compliance reviews identify gaps, potential non-compliance issues and areas for improvement before regulators find them. Compliance7 conducts structured reviews against PMLA requirements, FIU-IND expectations and international AML standards.
AML Audit and Independent Review
When a statutory AML audit or FIU-IND inspection is on the horizon, preparation is critical. Compliance7 helps you get ready for independent reviews, regulatory inspections and supervisory examinations by organising documentation, testing controls and conducting pre-audit assessments.
Ongoing AML/CFT Advisory Support
AML regulations evolve constantly. Compliance7 provides ongoing advisory support so your compliance program stays current as new rules, typologies and enforcement trends emerge.
AML/KYC Services for Regulated Businesses
An effective KYC program is the backbone of financial crime prevention and a core component of AML consulting in India. Weak customer identification and due diligence procedures are among the most common findings in AML audits and regulatory inspections.
Compliance7 provides KYC compliance services tailored to your industry and regulatory environment, helping financial institutions, fintechs, crypto exchanges and other regulated businesses build audit-ready KYC frameworks that align with AML/CFT regulations.
Customer Due Diligence (CDD). Compliance7 designs robust client onboarding, identity verification and risk rating procedures to ensure compliance with KYC and AML standards under the PMLA. This includes customer identification programs, ongoing due diligence for existing relationships and beneficial ownership identification for legal entities.
Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD). High-risk customers require deeper scrutiny. Compliance7 implements EDD processes that cover source of funds and wealth verification, adverse media screening and ongoing monitoring for politically exposed persons (PEPs), high-risk jurisdictions and complex ownership structures.
Ongoing Monitoring and Risk Reviews. KYC is not a one-time exercise. Compliance7 helps businesses build proactive monitoring systems that identify red flags, unusual patterns and high-risk activities through continuous KYC updates.
Sanctions and PEP Screening Consulting
Effective sanctions and PEP screening is essential for maintaining compliance with international regulations and preventing exposure to financial crime. Regulators worldwide, including FIU-IND, expect businesses to implement strong screening programs to detect and manage risks related to sanctioned individuals, entities and politically exposed persons.
Compliance7 provides end-to-end sanctions and PEP screening consulting services designed to help banks, fintechs, MSBs and crypto platforms build and maintain robust compliance frameworks. The services are aligned with FATF, OFAC, EU, UN and local Indian regulatory requirements.
Sanctions Screening. Implementation and optimisation of systems to identify individuals and entities listed under OFAC, EU, UN, HMT and other global and regional sanctions lists.
PEP Screening and Risk Management. Identification and risk classification of politically exposed persons, including family members and close associates, with tailored EDD procedures.
Adverse Media Screening. Integration of negative news and reputational checks to strengthen customer risk profiles.
System Review and Optimisation. Assessment and enhancement of your existing screening tools, rules and thresholds to reduce false positives and increase efficiency.
FIU-IND Compliance Consulting
Financial Intelligence Units play a critical role in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. For regulated businesses in India, timely and accurate Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs), Cash Transaction Reports (CTRs) and Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) are both a regulatory requirement and a key defence against financial crime.
Compliance7 provides specialised FIU consulting services to help financial institutions, fintechs, MSBs and other regulated entities meet their reporting obligations with confidence. AML consulting in India increasingly requires deep expertise in FIU-IND reporting processes and Compliance7’s team guides you through every stage.
FIU Reporting Support. Assistance in drafting and filing STRs and SARs that meet jurisdictional requirements, ensuring submissions are complete, accurate and audit-ready through the FINGate 2.0 portal.
Case Assessment and Documentation. Analysing suspicious activity, preparing supporting evidence and documenting investigation findings to the standards expected by FIU-IND and other regulators.
Training and Advisory. Equipping compliance teams with the skills to detect red flags and escalate suspicious cases effectively.
System Review and Optimisation. Enhancing reporting workflows and technology to improve accuracy and efficiency.
Regulatory Reporting and Advisory
In today’s evolving compliance landscape, accurate and timely regulatory reporting is essential to avoid penalties, maintain transparency and build trust with regulators. Businesses must navigate complex reporting obligations across AML, CFT, sanctions, tax and financial regulations, often under strict deadlines and high scrutiny.
Compliance7 provides expert regulatory reporting and advisory services that help financial institutions, fintechs, MSBs and crypto businesses meet their compliance obligations with precision. Our solutions are tailored to your jurisdictional requirements, ensuring you remain compliant, audit-ready and aligned with global best practices.
Regulatory Reporting Support. Preparation and submission of AML, CFT and financial crime-related reports in line with FIU and regulator requirements.
Compliance Advisory. Strategic guidance on evolving AML/CFT laws, sanctions regulations and industry standards.
Gap Analysis and Framework Review. Assessing existing compliance programs and strengthening policies, controls and governance.
Regulatory Liaison. Acting as a bridge with regulators and auditors to ensure smooth inspections, audits and reviews.
AML Training
Effective AML training is essential to ensure your team understands compliance obligations and can identify potential risks. AML consulting in India must include a training component, because even the best policies fail if frontline staff cannot recognise suspicious activity or follow escalation procedures.
Compliance7’s AML/CFT training programs are designed to meet regulatory requirements while being practical and relevant to your industry. Training is customised for your sector, whether you are a bank, NBFC, fintech, VASP, jeweller or real estate business.
Overview of AML/CFT Compliance. Understanding legal obligations under PMLA, regulatory expectations from FIU-IND and industry best practices.
Customer Due Diligence (CDD). How to conduct effective onboarding, risk assessments and ongoing monitoring of clients.
Transaction Monitoring and Red Flags. Identifying unusual activity, suspicious patterns and potential money laundering risks. Training covers sector-specific red flags, including those relevant to precious metals and stones dealers, crypto platforms and financial institutions.
Reporting Obligations. How and when to file STRs, CTRs and other reports with FIU-IND. Understanding the consequences of late or inaccurate reporting, including the Budget 2026 penalty provisions of INR 200 per day for delays and INR 50,000 per filing inaccuracy.
Training records are documented and maintained, as regulators routinely check whether staff have received adequate AML/CFT training during supervisory examinations and independent AML audits.
AML Audit and Independent AML Review Services
A statutory AML audit or independent review is a key requirement for regulated businesses. The FATF’s 2024 mutual evaluation of India highlighted supervision gaps in the non-financial sector and FIU-IND’s January 2026 guidelines now mandate annual independent AML audits for all VDA Service Providers. For DNFBPs, including dealers in precious metals and stones, real estate agents and casinos, independent review is increasingly viewed as a regulatory expectation and compliance best practice.
Compliance7’s AML auditing and independent review services ensure your AML/CFT framework is robust, effective and aligned with legal obligations. Our CAMS-certified team conducts systematic, independent reviews of your compliance program to evaluate its adequacy and effectiveness.
Compliance Program Assessment. Reviewing policies, procedures and controls to ensure they meet regulatory expectations under PMLA Sections 12 and 12AA.
Risk Assessment Review. Evaluating whether your business has accurately identified and managed potential AML/CFT risks.
Gap Analysis and Recommendations. Identifying areas for improvement and providing clear, actionable guidance.
Audit Preparation Support. Helping you prepare for statutory audits, regulatory inspections and independent reviews, including organising CDD files, transaction records, STR and CTR filing logs, training records and board minutes.
Who Needs AML Consulting in India?
The range of businesses that require AML consulting in India has expanded significantly. Under the PMLA, the following categories of reporting entities must maintain AML/CFT compliance programs and are subject to FIU-IND supervision.
Banks and Financial Institutions. All scheduled commercial banks, cooperative banks, NBFCs and other financial institutions regulated by the RBI.
Fintechs and Payment Service Providers. Digital lending platforms, payment aggregators, prepaid instrument issuers and other fintech businesses that handle customer funds or facilitate transactions.
Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers (VASPs). Crypto exchanges, custodial wallet providers, NFT platforms, token issuers, brokers and other Web3 intermediaries. FIU-IND’s January 2026 guidelines impose the most detailed AML obligations on this category, including mandatory annual independent AML audits and cybersecurity audits by CERT-In empanelled firms.
Dealers in Precious Metals and Precious Stones (DPMS). Jewellers, bullion dealers, gold traders, diamond dealers and any business that deals in precious metals or stones and handles cash transactions of INR 10 lakh or more. FIU-IND registration through the FINGate 2.0 portal is mandatory at the first instance of a qualifying cash transaction.
Real Estate Agents. Real estate agents involved in buying and selling property are classified as DNFBPs under the PMLA and must comply with KYC, transaction monitoring and reporting obligations.
Casinos and Establishments Offering Games of Chance. Licensed casinos and gaming establishments that deal in cash or kind are reporting entities under the PMLA.
Other Designated Businesses. Persons engaged in safekeeping and administration of cash and liquid securities on behalf of others and the Inspector-General of Registration appointed under the Registration Act, 1908.
Why Choose Compliance7 for AML Consulting in India?
Compliance7 Consulting is a specialist AML consulting firm serving regulated businesses across India and globally. Here is what sets Compliance7 apart.
CAMS-Certified Team. Compliance7’s consultants hold the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) credential, the global gold standard for AML professionals. CAMS certification ensures that your compliance program is built by professionals with demonstrated expertise in AML/CFT regulations, risk assessment and compliance program design.
Sector-Specific Expertise. Compliance7 works with banks, fintechs, VASPs, DPMS, real estate agents and other reporting entities. The team understands the unique compliance challenges of each sector and tailors its services accordingly.
India and Global Coverage. Based in India with a global client base, Compliance7 serves regulated businesses across India, APAC, the Middle East and beyond. The firm also works with international clients through Upwork and Fiverr.
End-to-End Service. From initial risk assessment to ongoing advisory, from KYC program design to FIU-IND reporting support, from AML training to independent review, Compliance7 covers the full compliance lifecycle. You do not need to engage multiple consultants for different compliance functions.
Regulatory Awareness. Compliance7 stays current with PMLA amendments, FIU-IND guidelines, FATF recommendations and international sanctions developments. This ensures your compliance program reflects the latest regulatory expectations, not outdated requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AML consulting?
AML consulting is a professional advisory service that helps regulated businesses build, implement and maintain Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance programs. AML consulting in India covers risk assessment, policy development, KYC/CDD procedures, transaction monitoring, FIU-IND reporting, sanctions screening, staff training and independent reviews.
Who needs AML consulting in India?
Any business classified as a reporting entity under the PMLA needs AML compliance support. This includes banks, NBFCs, fintechs, payment service providers, VDA Service Providers (crypto exchanges), dealers in precious metals and stones, real estate agents and casinos.
What does an AML audit cover?
An AML audit or independent review covers the design and effectiveness of your AML/CFT program, including governance structure, KYC and CDD processes, transaction monitoring systems, suspicious activity reporting, sanctions screening, record-keeping and staff training. For VASPs, the audit also includes a cybersecurity review by a CERT-In empanelled auditor.
How often should AML audits be conducted?
AML audits should typically be conducted annually or on a risk-based schedule depending on the nature, size and regulatory exposure of the business. FIU-IND’s January 2026 guidelines explicitly require annual independent AML audits for VDA Service Providers.
What are the penalties for AML non-compliance in India?
Under Section 13 of the PMLA, the Director of FIU-IND can impose monetary penalties ranging from INR 10,000 to INR 1,00,000 for each instance of non-compliance. Serious violations have attracted multi-crore fines. Budget 2026 introduced additional penalties of INR 200 per day for reporting delays and INR 50,000 per filing inaccuracy.
Does Compliance7 support FIU-IND registration and reporting?
Yes. Compliance7 assists with FIU-IND registration through the FINGate 2.0 portal, STR and CTR preparation and filing, regulatory submissions and ongoing compliance advisory.
Does Compliance7 work with businesses outside India?
Yes. Compliance7 is based in India and serves clients across India, APAC, the Middle East and globally. The firm also works with international clients.
Key Takeaways
AML consulting in India is no longer optional for regulated businesses. The PMLA, FATF expectations and FIU-IND’s expanding supervisory reach mean that every reporting entity needs a compliance program that is documented, tested and audit-ready. Whether you are a bank, fintech, crypto exchange, jeweller or real estate business, the regulatory bar is rising.
Compliance7 Consulting delivers end-to-end AML consulting services across India and globally, covering risk assessment, KYC/CDD, sanctions screening, FIU reporting, AML training, regulatory advisory and independent reviews. Our CAMS-certified team builds practical, audit-ready programs tailored to your sector and risk profile.
Contact Compliance7 Consulting to discuss AML consulting, AML audit, independent review, FIU-IND compliance or AML/KYC support requirements for your business.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice. Consult a qualified compliance professional for guidance specific to your business.
