Page 4 - Indian Banking Sector

Indian Bank hands over sanction letters worth ₹1,011 cr to over 3,000 women

Public sector Indian Bank has handed over sanction letters worth Rs 1,011 crore to over 3,000 women, extending financial support to Self Help Groups across Tamil Nadu. Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services, Secretary M Nagaraju presented the cheques to the beneficiaries at a Mega Self Help Group Credit Outreach Programme held at Tamukkam Convention Centre, here. In his brief address, Nagaraju emphasised that access to capital for livelihood activities is crucial. "Such initiatives not only reduce the dependence on sources of informal credits but also help inclusion into the formal financial ecosystem," he observed. "More than 3,000 women from various self-help groups across Tamil Nadu were part of the event. Sanction letters to the tune of Rs 1,011 crore were handed over during the mega SHG credit outreach programme," the Chennai-based bank said in a press release on Sunday. Indian Bank Managing Director and CEO Binod Kumar, Executive Directors Ashutosh Choudhury, S

RBI to intensify scrutiny of bank auditors after governance lapses

With governance concerns at IndusInd and Karnataka Bank, RBI is expected to tighten its engagement with statutory auditors and examine the role of board sub-committees more closely

MSME lending a new driver of credit growth? Asset quality a key test

Credit growth to small and medium enterprises is outpacing all other sectors, but the test of asset quality lies ahead

How digital technology platforms are lubricating the NPA disposal process

The digitalisation of the entire process, has the potential to reduce costs for banks and buyers, speed up recovery for banks, and provide fair access to buyers

Muted loan growth, margin woes may weigh on listed banks' Q1 profits

On a sequential basis, profit after tax may decline by 2.2 per cent, due to pressure on interest margins and muted credit growth

AI in currency: How it is quietly rewriting the rules of modern banking

Artificial intelligence is quietly transforming consumer-facing industries

New project finance norms: Banks seek exemption for smaller loans

On June 19, the RBI announced the final norms for project finance, prescribing a one per cent general provision for all projects, as compared to 0.4 per cent now

Karnataka Bank shares recover after CEO, ED resign; bank reassures clients

Following the surprise resignations of its MD & CEO and Executive Director, Karnataka Bank says it remains strong and well-capitalised, and begins search for replacements

Banking system may face near-term margin pressures, says RBI report

RBI's Financial Stability Report warns banks may see tighter margins and lower credit growth due to rate resets, liability shifts and weaker retail loan asset quality

SBI plans to solarise 4 million homes by FY27, marks 70 years of service

As it celebrates 70 years, SBI commits to solarising 4 million homes by FY27, scaling rooftop projects, modernising ATMs, and advancing AI-driven customer solutions

Slice SFB aiming to close FY26 in black, not looking to raise any capital

Slice Small Finance Bank has turned profitable on a monthly basis and is aiming to close FY26 in the black, a top official has said. The entity, which came out of a surprising merger between the fintech Slice and the North East SFB a few months ago, is adequately capitalised and not looking to raise any capital, its executive director Rajan Bajaj told PTI. The current focus is to build a pan-India business using the low-cost digital channels, and the entity is not interested in any more mergers, Bajaj said, adding that it may look at transitioning to a universal bank in the next five years. Before the merger, the North East SFB had reported a loss of Rs 441 crore, and Slice was also reporting losses. "We have turned profitable post-tax on a monthly basis and will close the year in profits," Bajaj said. The bank is adequately capitalised and the buffers will also be supported by the profits, he added. As per recent media reports, the bank was aiming to raise up to USD 300 million

Indian banks ready to lend, but tycoons show little appetite to borrow

Private sector expansion plans are at a three-year low, with bank exposure to key industries like roads, power and telecom down to 11% of their loan book, half the level seen a decade ago

Bank's group coverage: Affordable, easier to acquire; but check for limits

Group insurance from banks may be affordable and easy to onboard but customers must watch for coverage limits, exclusions, and renewal risks before signing up

Strong FY25 performance supports standalone credit profiles of banks: Fitch

Fitch Ratings on Monday said Indian banks' strong financial performances in the financial year ended March 2025 support the standalone credit profiles of rated banks and position the sector for future growth. The sector reported improved asset quality, stronger capital buffers and stable profitability despite the slowest sector loan growth in four years. "We expect steady performance to continue, though sustaining sound core financial metrics that strengthen loss-absorption buffers and resilience to economic shocks relative to the previous cycle would support positive momentum for rated banks' standalone credit profiles," Fitch said. The rating agency believes banks can sustain steady performance across most credit metrics in FY26, except for earnings due to cyclical pressures on margins and credit costs. "Indian banks' strong financial performances in the financial year ended March 2025 (FY25) support the standalone credit profiles of rated banks and position the sector for future

Good show by banks as most register a rise in profit, but challenges ahead

Overall, public sector banks have put up a better show than private banks on most parameters

94 candidates apply for six executive director positions in PSBs

FSIB likely to hold interviews month-end

Supervisory Data Quality Index of commercial banks improves in March: RBI

Supervisory Data Quality Index of commercial banks has improved to 89.3 in March 2025 compared to 88.6 in the year-ago period, the Reserve Bank said on Wednesday. The RBI has created a Supervisory Data Quality Index (sDQI) that measures data quality in terms of the accuracy, timeliness, completeness and consistency in various key financial parameters, including bad loans, asset-liability and capital adequacy. The index will help the regulator to assess the financial health of commercial banks, including small finance banks. "The sDQI score of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) has improved in March 2025 as compared to March 2024," it said. The sDQI for SCBs covers 87 SCBs and their key returns, including return on asset liability and off-balance sheet exposures, return on asset quality, return on operating results, risk-based supervision return (RBS), and liquidity return. The entity-level sDQI score is arrived at by aggregating the scores for Accuracy, Completeness, Timeliness and

Indian Bank launches new savings accounts for NRIs with global access

The Bank's new offerings aimed at a seamless combination of traditional trust and modern conveniences, reinforcing its position as a trusted banking partner for NRIs around the globe

Karur Vysya Bank expects 2% more credit growth than industry in FY26

Private sector Karur Vysya Bank expects its credit growth to be more than 2 per cent over the industry's overall growth during the current financial year, a top official said. The Tamil Nadu-based bank has lined up plans to open 28 new branches before the first half of the current financial year, particularly in Southern and Western parts of the country, the Bank's Managing Director and CEO, Ramesh Babu, said. The financial landscape is witnessing a dramatic transformation globally as well as in India, driven by technological innovations, changing consumer preferences and the emergence of alternative business models, he said. "The Reserve Bank of India is expected to adopt a more accommodative monetary policy stance. This could involve further rate cuts to stimulate domestic demand and support economic growth. The sudden escalation at the border has also added more uncertainties for the coming year," Babu told analysts recently, during the Q4 FY2025 Earnings Conference ...

Finance ministry pulls up public-sector banks over staff misconduct

Ministry asks lenders to strengthen handling customer grievances following several incidents