Banks

RBI allows banks to lend to REITs; bars land acquisition financing

Draft norms cap bank exposure to 49% of REIT asset value and prohibit funding for land acquisition, even if part of a project

Reserve Bank of India allows bank loans for unlisted, listed takeovers

Caps funding at 75% of acquisition value

RBI fines Bank of Maharashtra, Navi Finserv, CSB Bank for non-compliance

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday imposed monetary penalties on Bank of Maharashtra, DCB Bank and CSB Bank for non-compliance with directions. The central bank imposed Rs 32.50 lakh fine on Bank of Maharashtra, Rs 29.60 lakh on DCB Bank, and Rs 63.60 lakh on CSB Bank, RBI said in a release. The RBI also penalised Navi Finserv with Rs 3.80 lakh, and slapped a Rs 5.30 lakh fine on IIFL Finance, the release added. The monetary penalty on the Bank of Maharashtra was imposed, as the lender did not report Self Help Group member-level data to credit information companies and did not identify beneficial owners in certain accounts. CSB Bank was penalised as it entered into an arrangement with business correspondents for undertaking activities outside the scope of activities that can be undertaken by them, and levying charges in certain savings bank accounts without ensuring that customers were made aware of such charges upfront, the RBI said. In the case of DCB Bank, the RBI found

Lok Sabha panel urges banks to scrap penalties on minimum balance rule

Instead of imposing penalties, the panel suggested that banks encourage customers to maintain higher balances through incentives such as reward points, fee waivers and interest rate benefits

Commercial banks reap windfall from surplus liquidity arbitrage

TREP, CD rates crash as RBI stays away from surplus liquidity absorption

Banks to pay deposit insurance premiums under new system starting April 1

India will shift to risk-based deposit insurance premiums from April 1, replacing the decades-old flat fee system to reward banks with stronger risk management

RBI asks banks to stay open on March 31 to close FY26 govt accounts

RBI says banks handling government receipts and payments will remain open on March 31, 2026, to ensure all transactions are accounted for in FY26

Corporates return to loans; wholesale credit rises for private banks in Q3

Corporate borrowers are returning to bank loans as pricing gaps with bonds narrow, driving strong wholesale credit growth for private banks in Q3 FY26

India allows European Union banks to open 15 branches in four years

India will allow EU banks to open up to 15 branches over four years under the trade pact, while Indian banks will face no such cap in the EU

Unions call nationwide strike a success; no disruption, say bankers

Demanded five-day work week including all Saturdays

Directors' cut: Bank board reform hangs in balance amid governance rethink

As the banking landscape grows more complex, board oversight requires urgent finetuning. Expect Mint Road to tighten governance frameworks

Banks raise Rs 89.5k crore via CDs in December fortnight, rates surge

Banks raised Rs 88,512 crore through certificates of deposit in the last fortnight of December as deposit growth lagged credit growth, pushing short-term borrowing rates above 7 per cent

Haryana Gramin Bank sets up IPO cell, aims to approach regulator soon

Haryana Gramin Bank has set up a dedicated IPO cell and, with support from PNB, plans to approach Sebi for listing by the end of the year, aiming to boost transparency and growth

Analysts bullish on Federal Bank as growth to sustain under new leadership

Emkay Global Research, JM Financial, and Elara Capital hiked target price of Federal Bank.

The long road to recovery: Need to expand NCLT strength to reduce delays

India's bad loan problem is easing, but rising delays at the NCLT highlight the urgent need to expand tribunal strength to speed up insolvency resolution

NBFCs seek lower Sarfaesi limit for debt resolution, better harmonisation

Non-banking financial companies are taken up the matter with the Reserve Bank of India and the ministry of finance, seeking the same threshold that banks and some other lenders enjoy

AIBOC flags security lapses, seeks curbs on bank officers' election duties

AIBOC has urged the ECI and DFS to curb election-related deployment of PSU bank officers in West Bengal, citing security lapses, discrimination and disruption to core banking work

RBI asks banks to meet forex risk capital norms on continuous basis

The RBI has proposed changes to how banks calculate net foreign exchange exposure, requiring them to maintain capital for forex risk on a continuous, end-of-day basis

Can't treat compliance as a quarter-end activity: RBI DG Swaminathan J

RBI's Swaminathan urges banks to strengthen compliance, operational resilience, data governance, and third-party risk management to prevent disruptions and improve supervision

Optimum credit-deposit ratio for banks is 76-80%, says SBI report

CD ratio of banks stood at 82% as of December 15