Aathira Varier

India's outward FDI stands at $3.42 billion in January 2026, easing from December levels, with equity, loans and guarantees showing mixed trends

Indian companies filed ECB and FCCB proposals worth $4.43 billion in December, the highest monthly amount in FY26, led by NBFCs and infrastructure-linked borrowers

RBI has proposed raising the unsecured loan cap for urban co-operative banks to 20 per cent of advances, revising norms on unsecured lending and housing loan tenors

Both life and non-life insurers reported strong January premium growth, supported by a favourable base effect and the GST exemption on individual life and health insurance premiums

Thrissur-based ESAF Small Finance Bank will wait at least two years to seek a universal banking licence as it pivots to secured lending to improve asset quality and profitability

Banks are shifting from unsecured loans to gold-backed lending amid rising gold prices, but RBI says low LTVs and limited exposure pose no systemic risk

Targeted RBI campaigns and incentives have sharply increased the pace of unclaimed deposit settlements, pushing monthly payouts to over Rs 1,000 crore, compared with Rs 100-200 crore earlier, RBI said

The Reserve Bank of India will replace the flat-rate deposit insurance premium with a risk-based framework from April 2026, aiming to reward stronger banks and encourage better risk management

Private life insurers reported stronger demand for ULIPs in Q3FY26 as equity markets gained sharply. Customers also shifted towards higher sum assured plans with protection-linked riders

LIC's Q3 profit rose 17% on strong premium and investment income, while higher VNB margins and lower cost ratios supported overall performance

Life insurers saw commission costs rise in FY25, driven by higher payouts by private players, even as LIC cut agent commissions and insurance penetration slipped

In a post-earnings analyst call, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance's management said the MFI-linked credit life segment has begun to revive during the quarter

Shares of Policybazaar parent PB Fintech fell sharply after it announced plans to raise funds via QIP to pursue inorganic expansion in overseas markets

Budget 2026 proposes exempting interest awarded by motor accident tribunals from income tax and TDS, a move experts say will reduce disputes for insurers and help victims receive compensation faster

Lowering TCS on overseas education and medical remittances under LRS to 2% is expected to ease cross-border transactions and bring predictability for families managing large foreign expenses

Health insurer expects profitability in the March quarter as impact of accounting norm changes eases, with Indian-GAAP numbers set to converge with IFRS

India's inflation rate will likely be higher in FY27 than in FY26

High acquisition and distribution costs are hurting insurance affordability, limiting reach to the 'missing middle' and keeping penetration stuck despite rising insurance density

SBI Life Insurance posted a 5% rise in Q3FY26 net profit to ₹577 crore, supported by strong premium growth but weighed down by higher expenses and labour code provisioning

Promoters of Pramerica Life Insurance are in talks with multiple insurers to sell their entire stake, amid losses and constraints on fresh capital infusion