Page 7 - Banking

$6 bn-plus foreign inflows make 2025 a watershed year for India's pvt banks

Cleaner balance sheets, regulatory support and strong growth prospects helped Indian private banks attract over $6 billion in foreign capital, with more deals expected in 2026

Bandhan Bank sells over ₹6,800 crore stressed assets to ARCIL, Phoenix

Bandhan Bank said it has sold stressed loan portfolios worth over Rs 6,800 crore to ARCIL and Phoenix ARC to reduce NPAs and refocus on core lending

Number of UCBs declines to 1,457 in FY25 as RBI consolidation continues

India's urban co-operative banks fell to 1,457 at end-March 2025 from 1,926 in 2004, as RBI consolidation continued via mergers, closures and licence cancellations

Banks 'resilient' but face stiff fund mobilisation competition: RBI report

RBI said banks remain resilient with low bad loans and strong capital, but credit growth outpacing deposits will keep resource mobilisation competitive, requiring strong governance and risk management

Nabard scraps ₹7,000 crore bond issue as short-end yields stay elevated

Nabard withdrew a planned ₹7,000 crore three-year bond issue after bids stayed elevated, signalling muted transmission of the RBI's recent rate cut and pressure at the short end

PNB reports over ₹2,400 cr loan fraud linked to Srei ex-promoters

State-owned lender said it reported fraud of over Rs 2,000 crore linked to erstwhile promoters of SREI entities and has made provisions for the entire outstanding amount

BFSI M&A activity triples in 2025 on surge in bank, NBFC transactions

A surge in bank and NBFC transactions lifted BFSI deal activity three times in 2025, reflecting growing investor appetite for financial services assets

Mint Road in 2025: A year filled with opening doors and tightening screws

The year saw Mint Road push banks towards capital markets, revisit deposit insurance and revive UCB licensing, signalling reform that expands opportunity without diluting caution

Public-sector banks okay ₹28k cr in MSME loans via new digital model

The overall rejection rate across banks stood at about 20 per cent, with variation across institutions depending on credit profiles and digital data availability

SFIO launches probe into IndusInd Bank over accounting discrepancies

IndusInd Bank says SFIO has launched an investigation under Section 212 and sought information after discrepancies were flagged in derivatives and microfinance accounting

Credit card spending moderates to ₹1.89 trillion in November 2025

After crossing Rs 2 trillion in September and October, credit card spending eased to Rs 1.89 trillion in November 2025, with major issuers reporting month-on-month declines

RBI's Board approves risk-based deposit insurance framework for banks

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra chaired the meeting

Indian banks face deposit dilemma as RBI rate cuts squeeze margins

Indian banks are struggling to balance deposit mobilisation and margin protection after the RBI's latest rate cut, as savers shift away from banks even as credit growth remains strong

GST rate rationalisation gives fillip to retail credit market in Q2FY26

The period saw more demand for vehicle finance (two-wheeler loans and auto loans) and consumer durables; and this also led to an uptick in the CMI for demand to 95 from 92

Govt to use green-shoe option to divest 3% stake in Indian Overseas Bank

The OFS of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) opened for subscription on Wednesday for non-retail investors at a floor price of Rs 34 per share.

Six private sector candidates apply for Canara Bank MD & CEO role

On October 9, the government opened up one MD position in State Bank of India (SBI) and other PSBs for private sector bankers

Centre to sell up to 3% stake in Indian Overseas Bank, eyes ₹2,100 crore

The Centre will sell a base tranche of 2 per cent, or about 385.1 million shares, with an option to offload an additional 1 per cent, or 192.5 million shares, through a green shoe option

PSBs rework branch strategy to cut costs amid changing customer behaviour

PSU banks are reviewing low-traffic locations, shrinking branch sizes and using AI-driven site analytics as digital adoption rises, leading to more mergers and micro branches in rural areas

Axis Bank plans to hire 50 private bankers amid wealth boom in India

Axis Bank plans to add 50 private bankers and launch multiple funds from GIFT City as it expands Burgundy Private to tap India's rapidly growing wealthy client base

Multiple challenges continue to ail the ATM interchange fee conundrum

Eight months after RBI raised ATM interchange charges, banks are still split on what next as Rs 2,000 notes vanish, costs climb, and withdrawal volumes soften