Page 9 - Aathira Varier

Banks move to continuous cheque clearing, funds in hours from October 4

From October 4, cheques will be cleared on a near real-time basis under a new continuous clearing system, replacing the batch process and speeding up fund access

Aggressive pricing pulls down crop insurance premiums by over 30% in FY26

Crop insurance premiums dropped over 30% in FY26 till August due to aggressive pricing, state re-tendering and unsustainable loss-sharing models under PMFBY

Private insurers cut agent commissions after GST changes on health cover

ICICI Lombard, Care Health and Aditya Birla Health Insurance have lowered commission payouts on retail policies as GST on health premiums goes nil and ITC norms tighten

RBI examining digital phone locking as loan recovery tool, says governor

In September 2025, it was reported that the RBI is considering allowing lenders to use "device-locking technology" (DLT), by which they can lock the borrowers' smartphone in the case of a default

Higher-rated banks to pay less premium under RBI's proposed model

RBI has proposed a risk-based deposit insurance premium model from FY27 with the flat rate as the ceiling, lowering costs for stronger banks while improving risk management

Credit quality of Indian companies likely to remain stable in H2FY26

Rating agencies say easing monetary cycle, declining inflation supporting this

FSIB recommends Ramakrishnan Chander as LIC's next managing director

The Financial Services Institutions Bureau has recommended Ramakrishnan Chander for the post of LIC Managing Director, with the final decision to be taken by the Appointments Committee

NeSL in talks with insurers to launch surety bonds in digital format

Although the volumes for surety bonds continues to be low, issuance in a non-paper manner will ease a lot of administrative work for the insurers and could also help in increasing volumes

Life insurers firms plan to approach regulator for relief after ITC removal

This comes after the industry passed the entire benefit of lower GST rates to policyholders to increase affordability

Microfinance recovery may be delayed by a quarter as stress persists

The fall in new delinquencies in the microfinance industry has slowed, delaying recovery by a quarter, with meaningful earnings growth expected only from Q4 FY26 or FY27

Customer support and service major issues across fintechs: RBI study

An RBI bulletin study highlights customer support and grievance redressal as key challenges for fintechs, with users citing poor service, app glitches and loan processing issues

Outward remittances under LRS fell 11% to $2.45 billion in July: RBI

According to the latest RBI data, the amount remitted under LRS was down from $2.75 billion recorded in July 2024

No major rise in insurance sales despite zero GST, say distributors

The industry, however, believes that it is too early to see a proper trend

Festivals, GST cuts to drive credit card spends after 13.7% August rise

While spends saw a robust increase on a YoY basis, there was a slight moderation compared to previous month, where spends had touched Rs 1.93 trillion

GST 2.0: Pent-up demand behind spike in insurance sales on day one

The insurance industry has passed on the full reduction in GST to customers without changing product prices for now

IndusInd Bank names Viral Damania CFO amid leadership transition

IndusInd Bank has appointed Viral Damania as CFO and KMP with effect from September 22, while Santosh Kumar will continue as Deputy CFO after ceasing additional duties

Hospitals vs insurers: Policyholders bear the brunt of rising medical costs

The simmering conflict came to a head last month when Niva Bupa suspended cashless services at Max Hospitals on August 16, citing unresolved reimbursement issues

Insurance policy renewals see delay ahead of GST reforms' implementation

Fresh issuances stay steady as customers weigh renewal options before GST reform

Insurance executives knock on FinMin door for input tax credit fix

The insurance chiefs in a letter submitted to the finance ministry officials on Friday sought for implementation of the new GST rates on a prospective basis, while allowing for ITC on renewal premiums

Non-life insurance premiums up 1.6% in August on crop insurance drag

Non-life insurers saw premiums rise 1.6% in August to Rs 24,953 cr as crop insurance weakened; New India Assurance and National Insurance posted strong growth