Banking News

Business correspondents seek grant, equity funds for capacity building

The Business Correspondent Resource Council has sought the setting up of infrastructure and equity funds to strengthen last-mile banking, citing NSFI goals and RBI findings

DFS seeks states' support to ensure banking ops during Jan 27 bank strike

The DFS said banks have conveyed that ATMs are being adequately loaded with sufficient cash, and arrangements have been made to ensure timely replenishment

Banking ops to be hit on Tuesday as unions strike for 5-day work week

Banking operations of public sector banks across the country are likely to be impacted on Tuesday with the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) deciding to go ahead with a nationwide strike on January 27 to press for the immediate implementation of a five-day work week. The strike call by the UFBU, an umbrella body of nine unions representing officers and employees, comes after a conciliation meeting on January 23 with the chief labour commissioner failed to yield a positive outcome. With banks remaining closed on January 25 (Sun) and January 26 (Republic Day), the strike on Tuesday will result in a disruption of branch-level services for three consecutive days. "Despite detailed discussions during the conciliation proceedings, there was no assurance on our demand. Hence, we have been compelled to proceed with the strike action," All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), a constituent of UFBU, General Secretary C H Venkatachalam told PTI. All India Bank Officers' Confederation ..

Axis Bank puts Axis Finance stake sale on hold after RBI eases rules

Axis Bank has paused plans to sell a stake in its consumer lending arm, Axis Finance, after the RBI eased proposed curbs on overlapping bank and subsidiary businesses

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

PSBs urge RBI to include state development loans in OMO auctions

Public sector banks have asked the RBI to include state development loans in OMO purchases as SDL spreads widen sharply due to heavy state bond supply

CD ratio won't constrain HDFC Bank's loan growth aspirations: MD Jagdishan

HDFC Bank said its elevated credit-deposit ratio will not constrain loan growth, while reiterating a glide path to bring it down to 85-90 per cent by FY27

Bank credit to grow 13% in FY27 despite high LDR constraints: Ind-Ra

India Ratings expects bank credit to grow 13 per cent in FY27, supported by GST rationalisation, lower inflation and improved consumption, though high loan-deposit ratios remain a challenge

RBI looks to resume UCB licences after 22 yrs; moots ₹300 cr min capital

CAR not less than 12%; net NPA not above 3%

Considering tweaks in insurance commission structure: DFS secretary

The government is considering changes to insurance commission structures to lower acquisition costs and improve affordability, DFS Secretary M Nagaraju said

GST cuts, festival season drive mcap gains at 17 of top 20 listed banks

IDFC First Bank recorded the sharpest increase, with its market cap jumping 43.8 per cent in the quarter, pushing the Mumbai-based lender to 13th place from 17th in the rankings

Treasury income under pressure for banks in Q3 as yields stay elevated

RBI repo rate cuts fail to ease yields across tenors

SBI onboards 541 probationary officers as hiring drive continues

State Bank of India onboarded 541 probationary officers, taking a step towards its plan to hire 18,000 employees this financial year

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

PSBs eye M&A market but face talent, pay and regulatory hurdles ahead

Banks planning to enter this line of business need to prepare on several fronts, from raising payouts and hiring specialised talent to navigating potential governance challenges

RBI completes bond buys, takes FY26 total to a record high of ₹3.16 trn

The central bank bought 500 billion rupees ($5.53 billion) of bonds at higher-than-expected cutoff prices, lifting secondary-market yields

Canara Bank to raise ₹3,500 crore via AT-1 bonds in FY's first issue

Canara Bank is set to raise up to ₹3,500 crore through AT-1 bonds on November 25, likely the first such issue of the financial year, as falling yields revive activity in the domestic debt market

Festive season, GST relief boost per-credit card spend by 15% annually

Credit card spending zoomed during the festival season, aided by a rationalisation of GST rates, with private lenders leading the way

RBI announces measures to facilitate cross-border trade transactions

Banks in India and their overseas branches have been permitted to lend in Indian Rupees to persons resident in Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka to facilitate cross-border trade transactions, the Reserve Bank said on Monday. The RBI said amendments have been made to the Foreign Exchange Management (Borrowing and Lending) Regulations, 2018 and Foreign Exchange Management (Foreign currency accounts by a person resident in India) Regulations, 2015, as part of continuous efforts towards facilitating external trade and payments'. "AD (authorised dealer) banks in India and their overseas branches have been permitted to lend in Indian Rupees to persons resident in Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, including banks in these jurisdictions, to facilitate cross-border trade transactions," it said. In January 2025, the RBI permitted Indian exporters to open foreign currency accounts with a bank outside India for the realisation of export proceeds. Unutilised balances in these accounts are required to be

Bank unions slam move to open top PSB roles to private candidates

UFBU calls the move to allow private candidates for top roles in state-run banks and insurers a de-facto privatisation of leadership in public institutions