Page 3 - Aathira Varier

Budget 2026 move on MACT interest seen cutting litigation, speeding claims

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

Budget 2026: TCS cut on LRS education, medical spends to boost remittances

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

Niva Bupa aims to turn profitable in Q4 FY26: CFO Mahendra Vishwanath

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

Economic Survey: Undervalued rupee aids trade, but investor caution lingers

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

Cost cuts, distribution reforms key to tapping 'missing middle': Eco Survey

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's Q3FY26 results: Net profit rises 5% to ₹577 crore

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 look to sell their major stake

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

India's credit growth to be 10-12% CAGR over next 5 yrs: Brickwork Ratings

India's credit growth is expected to clock 10-12% CAGR over the next five years, led by retail, MSMEs and services, outpacing deposit growth, says Brickwork Ratings

Festival demand, GST 2.0 lifted credit card spend in Apr-Dec FY26

Dec spends rebound to top Rs 2 trillion; 2025 added 7.72 million cards

Outward remittances under LRS fell to its lowest in November in FY26

Outward remittances under RBI's LRS fell to the lowest level of FY26 in November, as overseas travel and education spending by Indians moderated

Canara HSBC Life Insurance Q3 profit slips 5.7% on higher expenses

Canara HSBC Life Insurance reported a modest decline in December-quarter profit as higher operating and commission expenses offset strong growth in premium income, APE and value of new business

Flows in NRI deposits drop 26.6% to $9.2 bn in April-November 2025: RBI

Inflows into NRI deposit schemes declined sharply during April-November 2025, dragged down by a steep fall in FCNR(B) deposits, even as NRE and NRO accounts recorded modest growth, RBI data showed

Budget 2026-27: Insurance industry bats for income tax relief for premiums

Insurers also seek an increase in threshold for taxing maturity proceeds of high-value policies

NIM to face downward pressure in Q4, says South Indian Bank MD & CEO

South Indian Bank expects loan growth above 12% by shifting focus from corporate lending to retail, MSME and agriculture, while margins face short-term pressure amid rate cuts

Suryoday SFB enters gold loan segment to scale secured lending portfolio

Suryoday Small Finance Bank has entered the gold loan segment, starting with Maharashtra

ICICI Lombard looks to outperform industry's premium growth in Q4

ICICI Lombard expects to outperform industry premium growth by 100-200 bps, driven by motor, health and commercial lines, says CFO

At UCB meet, RBI stresses asset quality oversight, governance standards

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra urges urban co-operative banks to strengthen governance, underwriting and asset quality, reiterating their role in financial inclusion

India's insurance market to grow at nearly 7% CAGR over 2026-30: Swiss Re

Swiss Re projects India's insurance market to grow nearly 7% annually between 2026 and 2030, supported by regulatory reforms, higher FDI limits and rising health and motor demand

New Labour Codes push up operating costs for private banks, insurers

Private sector banks and insurers report higher employee costs in Q3FY26 after accounting for statutory impact of New Labour Codes notified by the Centre in November 2025

Federal Bank's Q3FY26 results: Net profit rises 9% to ₹1,041 crore

Federal Bank posted a near 9% rise in Q3 FY26 profit, driven by higher income, better margins and improving asset quality, with growth momentum set to continue