Recent 6 months news in Banking

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the RBI, chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, held its second bi-monthly meeting for FY27. The committee unanimously voted to maintain the policy repo rate at 5.25% and retained a ‘neutral’ stance.

The RBI has maintained other key policy rates: Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate at 5%, Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate at 5.5%, Bank Rate at 5.5%, Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 3%, and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) at 18%. The real GDP growth projection for India for FY27 is revised to 6.6% from 6.9%.

The quarterly real GDP growth is projected at 6.6% for Q1, 6.3% for Q2, 6.5% for Q3, and 6.8% for Q4. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation projection is increased to 5.1% from 4.6%, and core inflation to 4.7% from 4.4%. Additionally, the baseline crude oil price projection is revised to $95 per barrel, up from $85 per barrel.

The RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹41.8 lakh on Canara Bank for failing to comply with regulatory norms. The fine was imposed after a supervisory review revealed lapses in ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) norms and account classification.

The Ministry of Finance has introduced reforms to increase the participation of Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) in Government Securities (G-Secs).

The measures include tax exemptions on interest income, Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG), and Short Term Capital Gains (STCG). Additionally, the reforms involve the expansion of specified securities under the Fully Accessible Route (FAR).

The Government of India (GoI) has extended the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions-2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0) until August 2026 or until guarantees amounting to ₹20,000 crore are issued, whichever is earlier.

The government has also increased the maximum loan amount cap for Large Sized Non-Banking Financial Company-Micro Finance Institutions (NBFC-MFIs)/Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) from ₹300 crore to ₹1,000 crore, subject to an overall ceiling of 20% of Assets under Management (AUM).

The RBI has introduced two special USD-Rupee forex swap facilities to attract foreign currency inflows and support external financing.

The first facility is for fresh Foreign Currency Non-Resident Bank (FCNR (B)) deposits, allowing Authorised Dealer (AD) Category-I banks to access the RBI’s forex swap facility (available in USD only) for deposits raised in any freely convertible currency.

The second facility is for eligible External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) with an average maturity of 3 years and above, and overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs) raised by AD Category-I banks with a minimum maturity of 3 years.

According to the latest “Ecowrap” report by the State Bank of India, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of India for FY26 is projected to increase to 7.7%. This growth is attributed to the strong performance of the economy in Q4 of FY26, which accelerated to 7.8%.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has launched the ‘StAR NPS’ platform. Developed by the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Technologies Pvt Ltd (BTPL), this digital onboarding solution aims to simplify the subscriber registration process for the National Pension System (NPS).

The PFRDA has also introduced a ‘Regulatory Sandbox Framework’, effective from June 2, 2026, to facilitate the controlled testing of innovative pension-sector solutions before their wider implementation.

The RBI has released the ‘Annual Report 2025-26’. The Balance Sheet (BS) of the RBI expanded by 20.6% in FY26, increasing from ₹76.25 lakh crore to ₹91.97 lakh crore, registering a growth of ₹15.72 lakh crore. A provision of ₹1.09 lakh crore was transferred to the Contingency Fund (CF).

The expansion on the assets side was driven by a 44.9% increase in domestic investments to ₹22.59 lakh crore, a 63.8% rise in gold holdings to ₹10.94 lakh crore, and a 7.9% growth in foreign investments to ₹52.68 lakh crore. The number of reported fraud cases declined to 10,114 from 23,722 in the previous year.

BharatPe has launched ‘BharatPe Flex’, a UPI solution, in partnership with YES Bank. This allows eligible customers to use a pre-approved credit line for daily UPI transactions.

Decentro has become the first Indian Payment Aggregator (PA) to secure final approval from the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) to operate as a Payment Service Provider (PSP). The company will conduct its operations at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Established in 2020, the company plans to launch 4 services under the PSP framework, which include merchant acquisition, virtual account issuance, cross-border money transfers, and escrow services.

The RBI has introduced a 6-point policy package to boost foreign capital inflows and stabilize the Indian rupee. Under the Fully Accessible Route (FAR), RBI has expanded the scope of 'specified securities' to include new central government securities (G-Secs) with tenors of 15, 30, and 40 years.

To optimize foreign portfolio capital flows, RBI has abolished historical entry bottlenecks under the General Route, including short-term investment lock-ins, concentration limits, and individual security caps for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs).

Equity investment ceilings have been increased for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) without SEBI registration. A concessional forex swap facility is introduced for External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) raised by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) to insulate public infrastructure funding from currency volatility.

RBI will bear the full hedging costs for Authorized Dealer (AD) banks that raise fresh 3 to 5-year Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) (FCNR(B)) deposits, valid until September 2026. The timeframe for exporters to repatriate and realize international sales revenue is reduced to 9 months from the previous 15 months.

West Bengal Gramin Bank (WBGB) has partnered with Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Ltd to enhance life insurance coverage in rural and semi-urban areas of West Bengal. The insurance company will use the bank's network of 960 branches across the state to offer its insurance products.

The Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) has partnered with HDFC Capital Advisors Ltd (HDFC Capital) to invest in real estate funds for affordable and mid-income housing in India. This marks the first-ever real estate investment by the DBJ in India.

The partnership aims for a total targeted corpus of $1 billion. Under this collaboration, the DBJ has pledged capital to the HDFC Capital Development of Real Estate Affordable and Mid-Income Fund (H-DREAM Fund), which is managed by HDFC Capital. The H-DREAM Fund has a target corpus of $500 million, with an additional $500 million green shoe option.

Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has launched 4 new premium credit card portfolios on the Visa platform.

The portfolios are Aura (Visa Platinum), Samara (Visa Signature), Altura (Visa Infinite), and Eternis (Visa Infinite). This launch is part of the strategy of the bank to strengthen its offerings for affluent and lifestyle-focused customers.

NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) has partnered with ACLEDA Bank Plc to facilitate the acceptance of the UPI in Cambodia.

With this, Cambodia has become the 9th international destination to integrate the Indian UPI system. The other countries where UPI is enabled include Singapore, the UAE, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, and Sri Lanka.

Bank of Baroda (BoB) has introduced biometric payment authentication and Internet of Things (IoT)-based payment capabilities on its UPI application, ‘bob इ Pay’.

The biometric feature uses Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)-based face authentication to secure transactions, allowing users to authorize UPI transactions up to ₹5,000 using fingerprint or facial recognition.

One Mobikwik Systems Ltd, the parent company of Mobikwik, has received in-principle approval from the RBI for a Payment Aggregator-Physical (PA-P) licence. This licence will enable the firm to facilitate offline merchant payments across India.

RBI has issued final amendment directions for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) and Rural Co-operative Banks (RCBs), mandating a 3-year cooling-off period for directors who have completed a continuous tenure of 10 years on the board.

RBI has also established an 8-member expert panel under the Quantum Secure and Adaptive Financial Ecosystem (Q-SAFE) initiative to evaluate the risks posed to the financial system by the adoption of quantum technology. The panel is led by Anil Prabhakar, a professor at the IIT Madras, who serves as the convener.

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has announced two new joint life insurance savings plans named ‘LIC’s New Jeevan Sathi Single Premium’ and ‘LIC’s New Jeevan Sathi Limited Premium’.

These plans, designed for couples, will be available from June 2026. They offer joint life financial protection, guaranteed returns, fixed benefits, and a premium waiver on the first death, along with loan facilities and flexible payout options.

The RBI has approved leadership updates for two financial institutions. Sandeep Bakhshi has been re-appointed as the MD & CEO of ICICI Bank for a 2-year term, effective until October 3, 2028.

Additionally, Ketan Merchant has been granted a 3-month interim leadership extension at Fino Payments Bank.