Indian equities fall as RBI announces OMO purchases and USD/INR swap to inject liquidity amid foreign outflows.
Markets fell amid profit-booking, rupee weakness and foreign outflows. The Reserve Bank of India announced an Open Market Operations purchase of government securities worth Rs 2 lakh crore and a USD/INR buy-sell swap auction for USD 10 billion between December 29 and January 22, described as interventions to improve systemic liquidity and stabilise currency volatility.

MoSPI updates: faster survey releases, enhanced sampling, base-year revisions for GDP/CPI/IIP, and upgraded data portals.
MoSPI reduced publication timelines-annual, quarterly and monthly survey results within 90-120, 45-60 and 15-30 days respectively-by adopting CAPI/e-SIGMA, modifying PLFS and ASUSE sampling for monthly/quarterly and district-level estimates, and shortening questionnaires. Concurrently, methodological reforms for GDP, CPI and IIP include integration of administrative data, adoption of COICOP 2018, shift toward double deflation, updated IIP baskets, and enhanced granularity; new series for CPI (base 2024), GDP (base 2022-23) and IIP (base 2022-23) are scheduled for release.

RBI liquidity measures: Rs 2 lakh crore OMO purchases and a USD 10 billion buy/sell swap to stabilise markets.
RBI announced an Open Market Operations purchase of government securities worth Rs 2 lakh crore and a USD 10 billion buy/sell dollar-rupee swap auction to inject liquidity, to be conducted between December 29, 2025 and January 22, 2026, while continuing to monitor market conditions and taking measures as appropriate to ensure orderly liquidity.

Rupee weakens amid foreign outflows and bullion demand despite announced USD/INR swaps and OMO liquidity injections.
The rupee settled weaker at 89.79 against the US dollar as foreign investor withdrawals and bullion importers' dollar demand increased; announced USD/INR swap auctions and Open Market Operations to inject liquidity did not substantially bridge the dollar supply-demand gap, with analysts noting support near 89.00 and resistance around 90.30.

Anil Ambani accounts face challenge over forensic audit validity under regulatory directions requiring CA sign-off.
The core issue was whether a forensic audit lacking signature by a duly qualified chartered accountant and prepared by a firm with prior consultancy ties to the banks could validly support classification of accounts as fraud accounts, given that applicable regulatory master directions require specific auditor eligibility and engagement procedures and that designation carries severe credit, reputational, and legal consequences.

Central bank liquidity injection to buy government securities and run dollar-rupee swaps boosts market sentiment and eases yields.
The Reserve Bank will purchase government securities totalling Rs 2 lakh crore and conduct a USD 10 billion buy/sell dollar-rupee swap auction between December 29, 2025 and January 22, 2026 to inject liquidity into the banking system, aimed at ensuring orderly liquidity and lowering yields.

Rupee strengthens after RBI announces government security purchases and a USD/INR swap to inject liquidity and stabilize the currency.
The Reserve Bank of India announced purchases of government securities and a USD/INR buy/sell swap auction to inject liquidity into the banking system and to enable management of short dollar positions; those interventions are described as operational tools to moderate exchange-rate volatility and prevent the USD/INR rate from breaching key levels by allowing spot-dollar purchases as needed.

India-New Zealand financial services FTA annex expands market access, digital payments interoperability, fintech cooperation, and data sovereignty protections.
The Financial Services Annex establishes an 18-article framework granting market access and national treatment for financial service suppliers, including increased FDI thresholds and a bank branch licensing regime allowing up to 15 branches over four years; it commits the parties to interoperable electronic payments and real-time cross-border remittances, collaborative fintech and sandbox arrangements, protections for transfer and storage of financial information preserving data sovereignty, anti-discrimination in credit assessment, and support for cross-border back-office and support functions.

RBI to inject liquidity via Rs 2 lakh crore OMO purchases and a USD 10 billion USD/INR buy/sell swap.
The Reserve Bank of India will purchase Government of India securities totalling Rs 2 lakh crore via four OMO purchase auctions of Rs 50,000 crore each, and conduct a USD/INR buy/sell swap auction for USD 10 billion with a three year tenor, structured as a simple buy/sell foreign exchange swap where banks sell dollars to the RBI and repurchase them at maturity to inject liquidity into the banking system.

Consumer durable loan lets buyers split gadget and appliance costs into EMIs, with quick online KYC and partner store fulfilment.
Easy EMI Loan converts big-ticket consumer purchases into monthly instalments, sometimes permitting possession with zero down payment. Eligibility is determined via a quick online flow requiring basic details, PAN based KYC and instant loan limit approval; purchases occur through partner stores with minimal paperwork. Promotional incentives (cashback, discounted EMIs) and a savings calculator may reduce net cost, but offers and fees are time limited and subject to lender and store terms; borrowers should review fees and charges before acceptance.

Canara HSBC Life and Equitas SFB partnership expands life insurance access via Equitas's banking network and phygital model.
Canara HSBC Life Insurance and Equitas Small Finance Bank entered a bancassurance alliance whereby Canara HSBC Life will offer its life protection, savings, annuity, child, and investment-linked products across Equitas SFB's branch, ATM and digital network, using a phygital model to accelerate insurance adoption and support the IRDAI vision of Insurance for All by 2047.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank reports 200x ROI and 15% digital adoption via hyper-localised AI automation.
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank used an AI-led, hyper-localised, multi-channel automation platform to target the first 90 days of onboarding, addressing digital inertia, limited personalization, and multilingual communication needs. Automated journeys provided welcome flows, activation nudges, safe banking education, and cross-sell prompts across SMS, push, web, WhatsApp, and email, with regional-language campaigns producing high response rates and delivering a 200x ROI, 15% increase in digital adoption, and 14% improvement in cross-sell conversions.

India-New Zealand FTA secures a binding USD 20 billion investment pledge and urges banks to expand MSME credit access.
Public sector banks now compete on equal footing with private and foreign banks in extending institutional finance to MSMEs, emphasising timely approvals, adequate capital for capex, opex and working capital, and proactive use of government schemes. The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement includes a binding USD 20 billion foreign direct investment commitment over 15 years and contractual clawback provisions if investment targets are not met, expected to drive investment in innovation, manufacturing and exports with MSMEs as key beneficiaries.

Rupee trades near 89.68 as crude rebound and trade talk delays influence currency sentiment and limited FII flows.
The rupee settled at 89.68 per US dollar, down 1 paisa, with intraday highs at 89.45; crude price recovery offset equity gains, a weak US dollar limited downside, and delays in US-India trade talks weighed on sentiment. Analysts expected USD INR to trade in a 89.20-89.80 range amid limited near term FII outflows. Market context included equity gains, FII net selling, an increase in India's forex reserves, and conclusion of negotiations on a free trade agreement with New Zealand.

Sensex and Nifty rally on foreign fund inflows and expectations of US rate cuts, boosting broad market buying.
Benchmark indices rose-Sensex up 638 points, Nifty above 26,100-led by IT, auto and metal gains, with positive breadth across smallcap and midcap segments. The rally was driven by net foreign and domestic institutional inflows, stabilising USD INR exchange rate, and global risk appetite supported by expectations of further US monetary easing, prompting broad-based buying and short covering in cash and derivatives.

Sensex and Nifty rally on foreign fund inflows, stabilising USD INR and expectations of US policy easing.
Equity benchmarks climbed as net foreign institutional inflows and domestic institutional buying provided liquidity, with the Sensex near 85,567 and the Nifty above 26,000. Expectations of US monetary easing, a stabilising USD INR, sector leadership from IT and metals, and derivative short covering collectively drove broad-based buying; Brent crude also rose modestly.

Rupee slipped to 89.70 as crude rebound and stalled US-India trade talks offset equity and dollar support.
The rupee closed down 3 paise at 89.70 against the US dollar as crude price recovery negated equity support; lack of progress in US-India trade talks and import-cost concerns weighed on sentiment while a softer dollar and equity inflows provided partial support. Analysts expected USD INR to trade between 89.20 and 89.80, noting higher Brent futures, a softer dollar index, strong domestic equity gains, FII purchases, and a weekly increase in forex reserves as influencing near-term currency dynamics.

PayU's 2025 CSR advances digital safety, women's sustainable livelihoods, and financial inclusion through targeted training and partnerships.
PayU implemented a multi component Corporate Social Responsibility program emphasizing digital safety education, sustainable livelihood projects for women, and leadership led mentorship to advance digital and financial inclusion. The digital safety work used vernacular training and pre/post assessments showing marked student knowledge gains; the livelihood initiative created 14 micro enterprise projects with entrepreneurship training and branding support; prior programs referenced include a central bank framed village adoption for digital payments literacy and digital vans delivering financial and digital literacy in remote areas.

Artificial intelligence can transform banking and MSME credit access while requiring regulatory clarity and institutional reform.
The commentary urges adopting artificial intelligence as an economic enabler that enhances loan processing and MSME credit access by using diverse data sources, shifts job content toward multidisciplinary skills and human judgement, and requires banks to adapt to changed liquidity flows. It stresses that public sector banks face constraints from multiple regulators and fragmented priorities and recommends clarity of objectives, milestone-based reform, and removal of institutional impediments rather than treating privatisation as the sole remedy.

Indian rupee rises 22 paise to 89.45 as RBI dollar selling and foreign inflows support the currency rally.
RBI intervention through heavy dollar selling via state-run banks supported a 22-paise appreciation of the rupee to 89.45 per US dollar, aided by corporate dollar inflows, foreign portfolio investor purchases, firmer domestic equities and a rise in forex reserves; a narrower trade deficit and Brent crude around USD 60 also contributed, though the broader depreciation trend remains intact year-on-year.