Kerala masala bond probe: court stayed ED show cause proceedings over use of bond funds for land acquisition.
The petition contests ED show cause notices under FEMA and RBI directions concerning KIIFB's use of 2019 Masala Bond proceeds for land acquisition, focusing on whether such acquisitions qualify as real estate activity under the ECB framework and thus violate permitted uses. The ED alleges FEMA contraventions of about Rs 466.91 crore; the court has issued an interim suspension of further proceedings on those notices and listed the matter for hearing alongside KIIFB's petition.

Kerala Masala Bond use challenged; HC stay appealed as ED argues FEMA adjudicatory process bars direct petitions.
Kerala officials challenged ED show cause notices alleging misuse of Masala Bond proceeds for land acquisition; the High Court stayed proceedings for three months. The ED appealed, arguing petitions are premature because FEMA provides a complete adjudicatory and appellate framework and that objections must be raised before the Adjudicating Authority. The dispute hinges on whether the External Commercial Borrowings framework treats land acquisition for infrastructure as a real estate activity barred from Masala Bond financing; the notices allege FEMA contraventions of Rs 466.91 crore.

IRDAI-regulated entities must adopt 1600-series numbers by Feb 15, 2026 to curb call fraud and enhance consumer trust.
TRAI mandated that IRDAI-regulated entities adopt the 1600 series numbering for service and transactional voice calls by February 15, 2026 to strengthen call authentication, enhance consumer trust, curb spam, and reduce impersonation-based financial frauds. The directive follows DoT assignment of the 1600 series for BFSI and certain government organisations, prior similar mandates for other financial regulators, and consultations with IRDAI and the Joint Committee of Regulators.

Indian rupee likely to bounce back strongly in second half of next fiscal amid tariff-driven pressures.
The rupee entered a depreciating regime largely due to a 50% US tariff shock, reduced portfolio inflows and elevated geopolitical risk; RBI interventions of around USD 18 billion and declining foreign exchange reserves have been used to curb volatility. The study projects an exit from the depreciating regime and a strong rupee rebound in the second half of the next fiscal, contingent on normalization of trade expectations, easing of portfolio outflows, and continued central bank market operations.

HSBC India opens Indore branch after regulatory approval to expand branch network and serve affluent wealth clients.
HSBC India opened a new Indore branch following approval to expand its branch network, bringing its nationwide total to 29 branches. The move targets affluent, HNW and non-resident clients in Indore's diversified economy and positions the branch to provide International Wealth, Premier Banking and corporate services. The expansion reflects a strategic emphasis on branch network growth outside major metros, planned further openings in multiple cities, and continued compliance with branch licensing and regulatory approval requirements.

Rupee rebounds amid suspected central bank intervention and external pressures, with volatility tied to capital outflows and trade tensions.
The rupee rebounded to 90.38 after volatile trading, with the recovery attributed to suspected central bank intervention and external pressures-capital outflows, foreign portfolio investor selling, non-deliverable forward maturities and US-India trade tensions-while crude oil provided intermittent support; the RBI is said to focus on curbing volatility rather than defending a specific exchange rate, and a concluded trade deal plus improved capital flows could prompt relative appreciation.

IDFC FIRST Global Savings Account for NRIs offers 100% repatriability, USD/EUR balances, zero remittance fees.
IDFC FIRST Bank launched the IDFC FIRST Global Savings Account via GIFT City to allow NRIs to hold USD and EUR savings with 100% repatriability of principal and interest, zero remittance fees, monthly interest crediting (monthly compounding), the ability to book USD/EUR fixed deposits, and an asserted TDS exemption on interest for NRI deposits, accessible through integrated digital banking and a single relationship manager.

Perfios AI OS transforms BFSI operations with governance first, explainable, real time decisioning and enhanced operational efficiency.
Perfios launched an AI Powered Real Time OS for BFSI that unifies agentic platforms-domain trained LLMs, vision models, retrieval systems and Policy RAG-into a governance first intelligence layer to enable real time, explainable decisioning across onboarding, underwriting, fraud detection, collections and embedded finance, delivering operational efficiencies, enhanced risk insights and auditability without increased risk exposure.

Clinikk receives IRDAI approval to operate as a composite corporate agent and launches a Diamond OPD membership.
IRDAI approval allows Clinikk to operate as a composite corporate agent and partner with insurers to design clinically aligned products integrated with its first-line care network; concurrently it opened three new Health Hubs and launched a Diamond annual OPD membership offering consultations, medicines, diagnostics, referrals, treatment support and cashless services across its hubs and partner network to make outpatient care more accessible and preventive.

Rupee volatility driven by FPI outflows, trade deficit pressures and oil prices, affecting export competitiveness and import costs.
Rupee volatility stems from large-scale FPI selling, an increasing trade deficit and India-US trade uncertainty, while lower Brent crude prices have intermittently supported the currency. Government statements note that exchange rate depreciation can boost export competitiveness but may raise import prices, with domestic price effects contingent on pass through from international commodity prices.

Digital arrest: stakeholders to consider mandatory banking reimbursement, AI detection, and coordinated CBI probes for victim protection.
The Court asked the Centre to convene stakeholders to consider an amicus proposed victim compensation scheme via mandatory banking reimbursement, review CBI inputs, implement automated banking alarms and AI tools to detect and freeze mule accounts, authorize pan India CBI probes with state consents, secure IT intermediary cooperation, restrict multiple SIM issuance by telecom providers, establish regional/state cybercrime coordination centres, and investigate bank officials for collusion with fraudsters under anti corruption provisions.

Kerala infrastructure fund board faces stayed ED proceedings over Masala Bond land acquisitions amid ECB framework dispute.
The High Court stayed for three months proceedings arising from an ED show cause notice alleging KIIFB used Masala Bond proceeds for prohibited real-estate activity, observing the RBI ECB framework governing those bonds does not treat infrastructure activities as real-estate activity, and noting prima facie that the adjudicating authority may lack power to proceed.

Rupee weakens past 91 as trade deficit and India-US deal uncertainty drive depreciation, with RBI monitoring and possible intervention.
The rupee's decline past 91 per dollar is ascribed to a widening trade deficit, weak capital account support and uncertainties from India-US trade talks; the INR is described as market-determined, while the Reserve Bank of India regularly monitors the foreign exchange market and intervenes to address excess volatility, with depreciation having offsetting effects on export competitiveness and import price pass through to domestic inflation.

Rupee hits record low; depreciation linked to widening trade gap and India US deal uncertainty, prompting RBI monitoring.
The rupee fell to a record low, blamed by the government on a widening trade deficit and India-US trade deal uncertainty; the exchange rate is described as market determined while the Reserve Bank of India regularly monitors the market and intervenes against excess volatility. Officials note depreciation can boost export competitiveness but may raise import prices depending on pass through; market commentary warns of further declines toward 92 per dollar amid FPI outflows and capital account weakness, despite lower oil prices and a softer dollar.

Motor insurance: new IRDAI rules require board-approved claim policies, transparent assessments, time-bound settlements and surveyor oversight.
IRDAI requires insurers to implement board-approved claim-settlement policies, disclose surveyor roles and appointment details to insureds, ensure transparent documentary support for claim deductions and settlements, and apply time-bound procedures; losses below Rs. 50,000 may be assessed via app-based AI methods without mandatory registered surveyor involvement, while insurers must monitor surveyor performance, investigate deviations, report violations to the Authority, and IRDAI may suspend surveyor licenses or issue cautions and advisories based on inspection findings.

Rupee falls to record low as trade gap and India US deal delays weigh on exchange rate dynamics.
The rupee fell to a provisional record low of 91.01 per US dollar, driven by a widening trade deficit, weak capital account support and delays in the India-US trade agreement; authorities stated the INR is market determined and that the Reserve Bank of India monitors the foreign exchange market and may intervene to prevent excess volatility, while depreciation could raise export competitiveness and also increase import prices depending on pass through of international commodity costs.

LIC reports concentrated investments in major corporate groups under a board-approved policy with regulatory oversight.
LIC reports concentrated exposures to major domestic corporate groups totalling significant sums with 35 companies each above Rs 5,000 crore, governed by a board-approved investment policy. Investment decisions are made by an Investment Committee under an annually reviewed SOP, following due diligence, risk assessment and fiduciary compliance and subject to the Insurance Act, 1938 and applicable regulator rules.

Rupee slid to a record low amid capital outflows, dollar buying and stalled India-US trade talks, raising intervention concerns.
The rupee fell to a record low of 91.01 against the US dollar due to sustained foreign portfolio outflows, persistent dollar buying and lack of a concluded India-US trade deal; market sources warned the currency could breach 92 absent RBI intervention, while negative wholesale inflation, a softer dollar index, lower Brent futures and a sharp domestic equity decline were cited as supporting market conditions.

Stock markets decline as foreign fund outflows and weak global trends weigh; domestic buying cushions losses.
Equity indices opened lower as persistent foreign institutional selling and weak global sentiment drove early declines, while domestic institutional and retail buying provided a cushioning effect; currency weakness near record lows and upcoming global economic and central bank events were noted as additional near-term headwinds, with markets expected to respect key technical levels rather than move in strong trends.

Education loans: Gross NPAs fell to 2%; banks guided on collateral-free limits and resolution framework.
Gross NPAs in education loans of Public Sector Banks fell from 7% in FY 2020-21 to 2% in FY 2024-25. Credit decisions are governed by each entity's Board approved loan policy and RBI's prudential framework for early recognition and resolution of stressed assets. RBI advises adoption of the Model Education Loan Scheme providing collateral-free loans up to Rs. 7.50 lakhs for eligible borrowers; banks may, on Board-approved policies, grant collateral-free loans beyond that amount. Earlier guidance discouraged mandatory collateral for loans up to Rs. 4 lakhs, and government schemes facilitate collateral- and guarantor-free lending for meritorious students.