Liquidation of cooperative bank initiated; depositors' claims to be settled under statutory priority after KYC verification and phased settlement.
Liquidation proceedings for SCARD Bank Ltd have been initiated under the Cooperative Societies Act due to accumulated losses, weak governance, poor loan recovery and liquidity pressures; the bank is not registered under the Banking Regulation Act and thus lies outside RBI purview. A comprehensive KYC verification of claims is complete and, following a winding-up order and appointment of liquidators, duly verified depositor claims will be settled in phased manner strictly pursuant to statutory provisions and the prescribed order of priority. Deposit insurance and credit guarantee mechanisms do not apply; the government has compiled depositor liability projections and may consider budgetary provisioning.

Digital accessibility compliance elevated to enterprise governance, integrating audits, remediation, documentation and continuous monitoring.
Digital accessibility is framed as an enterprise compliance and governance requirement to be embedded in procurement, engineering and risk management frameworks, aligned to standards such as WCAG 2.2, ADA, and Section 508. The firm proposes a combined advisory and technology approach - expert audits, VPAT/ACR documentation, remediation advisory, automation, developer enablement, and continuous monitoring - to convert regulatory obligations into operational discipline, procurement readiness, and managed accessibility risk across regulated sectors.

EMI financing enables consumers to acquire branded air conditioners through flexible tenures and zero down payment options.
Promotional offers couple branded air conditioner sales with Easy EMI loans and an EMI Network Card permitting flexible tenures, zero down payment options, paperless point-of-sale conversion, and online pre-approved eligibility verification by mobile number and OTP; pricing and offers are location- and retailer-dependent and subject to change.

Salary account package expands banking, insurance and card benefits to central government employees through PSB facilitation camps.
The Department of Financial Services launched a Salary Account Package for Central Government employees delivered via PSB organised facilitation camps, with PSBs as nodal banks coordinating with Ministries/Departments to ensure participation. The integrated Package covers banking, insurance and cards, offering zero balance accounts, free remittances and cheque facilities, concessions on locker rental and loan processing, concessional loan rates for housing, education, vehicle and personal loans, enhanced card benefits, and layered insurance protections including accident, disability, life and medical cover.

Foreign owned US LLC compliance: nonresident owners face mandatory IRS reporting and parallel Indian tax and FEMA obligations.
Nonresident ownership of US single member LLCs triggers an annual IRS Form 5472 filing obligation with steep per form penalties for non filing; this filing must be submitted by mail or fax. The US FinCEN BOI exemption for domestically formed entities does not remove Form 5472 duties. Indian residents must report and tax worldwide income and may face FEMA and Overseas Direct Investment reporting requirements, so professional cross border tax and FEMA advice is recommended before formation.

Digital savings account transparency improves customer decision-making through instant account opening, UPI integration and built in interest tools.
AU Small Finance Bank's enhanced digital savings account focuses on instant digital account opening, UPI integration, 24x7 mobile banking, contactless debit card capabilities, and an integrated savings account interest rate calculator that provides transparent interest rate visibility to help customers evaluate returns, plan finances, and maintain liquidity while supporting financial inclusion.

Business correspondent operationalisation advances as banks urged to scale services and complete digital monitoring and geotagging.
Monitoring Committee reviewed operational and governance aspects of the Business Correspondent model, noting implementation of a Business Correspondent Registry that identifies duplicate BCs and captures service and performance records; member banks completed geotagging of BC points and are using digital monitoring tools. The Committee advised banks to scale up and expand services at BC outlets, and discussed commission structures in remote areas, grievance resolution for BC organisations, and coordination to strengthen performance monitoring and financial inclusion.

Reporting requirement for local-currency foreign exchange derivatives now covers related-party global transactions; stakeholders invited to comment.
The Reserve Bank proposes draft Directions requiring Authorised Dealer Category - I banks to report foreign exchange derivative transactions involving the Indian currency undertaken by their related parties globally, extending trade repository coverage to offshore rupee derivative flows to enhance market transparency and pricing. The measure builds on earlier requirements for market-makers, primary dealers, and banks to report OTC and rupee interest-rate derivatives, and is published for stakeholder consultation with specified submission procedures.

Draft directions on foreign exchange dealings invite public comment to broaden authorised dealers' flexibility in products, risk management and platforms.
The Reserve Bank has issued draft Directions on Foreign Exchange Dealings of Authorised Persons and invited stakeholder comments. The draft seeks to refine regulation by expanding facilities and operational flexibility available to authorised dealers, focusing on foreign exchange products, risk management and trading platforms. It forms part of regulatory updates announced in the recent Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies, and specifies submission channels for public feedback.

Compliance first stablecoin payments enable regulated cross border payouts and corporate cards for emerging market businesses.
Endl secured pre seed funding to scale a compliance focused, stablecoin centred cross border payments platform offering multi currency accounts, regulated stablecoin rails, fiat stablecoin conversions, corporate cards and treasury services, with investments directed toward regional banking integrations, compliance systems and enterprise security to serve businesses in emerging markets.

Deposit-taking NBFC registration enables instant digital personal loans with streamlined KYC, quick disbursal, and flexible repayment options.
Bajaj Finance offers an instant digital personal loan delivered via a personal loan app that uses analytics and electronic verification to provide quick eligibility decisions, minimal documentation, OTP mobile verification, online KYC completion, and rapid electronic disbursal to the customer's registered bank account, with flexible tenures, repayment management tools, and features designed to meet diverse consumer financing needs.

Market rebound as banking and power stocks lead recovery amid global rate-cut expectations and stable currency support.
Equity benchmarks rebounded nearly one percent led by renewed buying in banking and power stocks, reversing a recent decline as large-cap financials and utilities outperformed. The rally was supported by expectations of sustained power demand, improving loan growth and stable bank asset quality. Macro cues-falling US long-term yields, a stable rupee and steady crude oil-added support, while foreign institutional investors were net sellers and domestic institutional investors were net buyers.

Inflation trends show rising wholesale prices, prompting continued RBI focus on retail inflation for monetary policy.
Wholesale price inflation rose to 1.81% in January due to increases in food articles, non-food articles, textiles and manufacturing subgroups, while fuel and power remained in deflation. Manufactured products and non-food articles recorded higher inflation compared with the prior month. The Reserve Bank of India continues to emphasise retail inflation as the primary indicator for benchmark interest-rate decisions, having reduced policy rates earlier in the fiscal year and subsequently retained key rates.

Currency depreciation driven by FII outflows and a stronger dollar, pressured further by declining forex reserves.
The rupee weakened to 90.67 against the US dollar amid FII outflows and a stronger dollar, with rising crude prices and a notable weekly decline in forex reserves cited as contributing factors; market commentary noted narrow intraday trading and flagged impending trade balance data as potentially influential.

Credit to G.D.P. ratio reform to expand financing and make financial institutions more agile for national development.
The Department of Financial Services convened a policy shivir to solicit strategic reforms to align banking and financial services with Viksit Bharat@2047, focusing on enhancing the Credit to G.D.P. ratio, increasing agility of public financial institutions, deploying new large scale financing mechanisms, deepening the bond market, reducing intermediation costs, strengthening banks' role in MSME financing, and promoting insurance and pension product innovation alongside financial inclusion and cyber security to build a more resilient financial system.

Iridium scam network using fake central bank IDs defrauded investors of crores; six arrested, investigation ongoing.
An inter-state fraud operation used a fake commodity investment scheme claiming funds held with the central bank to obtain payments via staged interviews, counterfeit identity cards, biometric collection and forged documents. The facts give rise to allegations of impersonation, forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy. Law enforcement conducted coordinated arrests across jurisdictions, seized mobile phones and laptops, and is investigating further victims and participants while advising potential victims to file complaints to assist evidence collection and tracing.

Spectrum allocation ruled not an asset and therefore not subject to insolvency proceedings under applicable insolvency rules.
Allocation of electromagnetic spectrum to telecom service providers was held not to constitute an asset capable of being brought into insolvency proceedings, limiting the scope of creditor remedies under the insolvency regime. The NIA was granted an additional 45 days to continue its probe into a blast, and an individual was released on bail in a decades-old criminal case, illustrating ongoing judicial oversight of investigations and pretrial liberty decisions.

Rupee falls to 90.66 as forex reserves decline and a new CPI series is introduced, weighing on markets.
The rupee weakened to 90.66 per US dollar amid a firmer dollar, weak domestic equities, and foreign institutional investor outflows, while RBI data showed a notable weekly decline in forex reserves. Authorities introduced a new Consumer Price Index series with expanded coverage and re-weighted constituents to better inform monetary and fiscal policy.

Priority sector lending potential estimated at Rs 4.88 lakh crore for FY27, with major allocations to agriculture and MSMEs.
NABARD's State Focus Paper projects a priority sector credit potential of Rs 4.88 lakh crore for FY27, allocating Rs 2.24 lakh crore to agriculture and allied activities and Rs 2.27 lakh crore to MSMEs, with block level sub sector estimates to inform the annual credit plan and align financial institutions with development priorities.

Lead Bank Scheme draft revises governance, roles, and committee structures; public comments invited by March 6, 2026.
Draft circular revising the Lead Bank Scheme aims to refine Scheme objectives, clarify governance by specifying structure, membership and agenda of fora, and delineate roles and responsibilities of key functionaries. It also proposes measures to strengthen the State Level Bankers' Committee and Lead District Manager offices. Public comments are invited by email using a prescribed subject line within the stated deadline.