Bank employees strike on Jan 27 to press for a five-day work week, risking multi-day public sector disruption.
UFBU-served conciliation with the Chief Labour Commissioner, IBA, banks and DFS failed to resolve UFBU's demand for a five-day work week; UFBU has therefore notified a nationwide strike on January 27, which combined with adjacent holidays may disrupt public sector banking services, while UFBU proposes compensating by adding 40 minutes of work Monday-Friday.

India foreign exchange reserves rose to USD 701.36 billion; central bank used buffers to check rupee volatility.
India's foreign exchange reserves rose by USD 14.167 billion to USD 701.36 billion for the week ended January 16. Foreign currency assets increased by USD 9.652 billion to USD 560.518 billion and gold reserves rose by USD 4.623 billion to USD 117.454 billion, while SDRs fell by USD 35 million to USD 18.704 billion and the IMF reserve position declined by USD 73 million to USD 4.684 billion. The central bank has deployed currency buffers to address rupee volatility.

Wage and pension revisions approved for PSGICs, NABARD and RBI, increasing pay, pensions and NPS employer contribution.
Central Government approval implements wage revision and pension revision measures for PSGICs, NABARD and RBI: PSGICs wage revision effective 01.08.2022 increases basic pay and dearness allowance by 14% and raises NPS employer contribution from 10% to 14%, with family pension set at 30% and total financial outgo of Rs. 8,170.30 crore; NABARD pay and pension parity effective 01.11.2022 provides about 20% pay hikes and specified arrears and recurring pension costs; RBI pension/family pension increased by 10% on basic plus dearness relief effective 01.11.2022 with quantified arrears and annual costs.

Deutsche Bank and Akshaya Patra mark 100 million meals milestone supporting PM POSHAN school nutrition.
Deutsche Bank's CSR support has enabled The Akshaya Patra Foundation to deliver 100 million mid-day meals by funding and strengthening implementation of the Government of India's PM POSHAN scheme. The partnership leverages private funding, operational innovations, and employee engagement to ensure hygienic, nutritious daily meals at scale, exemplifying a public-private partnership model that complements government programme architecture to reduce classroom hunger and support educational access.

Wage and pension revisions for PSU insurers, development bank staff and central bank retirees raise government payroll and arrears.
The government approved wage and pension revisions covering PSU general insurer employees, development bank staff, and central bank retirees. PSU insurer wage revision effective 1 August 2022 entails Rs 8,170.30 crore total outgo including wage arrears, NPS and family pension costs. Development bank revisions effective 1 November 2022 add about Rs 170 crore annually and roughly Rs 510 crore arrears. Pension enhancement for central bank retirees raises pension and family pension by 10% on basic pension plus dearness relief from 1 November 2022, with specified one-time arrears and recurring annual costs.

Rupee rebounds to 91.58/USD on suspected RBI support and improved risk sentiment amid trade-deal signals.
The rupee recovered to 91.58/USD, aided by suspected RBI intervention and improved risk appetite after US tariff threats were withdrawn; analysts noted support at 91.10, resistance at 92.00, and said sustained central bank support could push USD/INR toward 90.50-90.70, while vulnerability persists amid geopolitical uncertainty and pending trade agreements.

Rupee edges up to 91.62 on suspected RBI support and equity gains, but remains vulnerable to geopolitical risk.
Rupee recovered slightly to 91.62 per US dollar, driven by suspected central bank intervention and positive equities, but remains volatile due to global geopolitical uncertainty. Analysts note consolidation is likely and partial recovery depends on improved risk sentiment and finalisation of a pending US trade framework; 92.00 is key resistance while sustained RBI support could pull USD/INR toward 90.50-90.70.

Rupee plunges to record low amid foreign capital outflows and geopolitical risk, pressuring central bank intervention capacity.
The currency reached a record low of 91.65 against the US dollar due to persistent foreign capital outflows, geopolitical tensions, and negative domestic market trends; equity sell offs and delayed trade negotiations with the US worsened investor sentiment. Although central bank foreign exchange reserves and intermittent interventions have provided mitigation, they have struggled to stop aggressive depreciation, leaving the currency vulnerable to ongoing external shocks while potentially improving export competitiveness via real effective exchange rate adjustment.

Rupee falls to record low as foreign capital outflows pressure exchange rate and central bank interventions continue.
The rupee's record depreciation reflects sustained foreign capital outflows and geopolitical risk, prompting reliance on Reserve Bank intervention and foreign exchange reserves to manage disorderly exchange rate movements. Policy attention is focused on containing volatile foreign capital flows, preserving external sector stability, and the potential stabilising effect of pending bilateral trade negotiations on capital flows and commerce.

Zinnov advised Tailwind in its acquisition by UST, expanding digital banking implementation and modernization capacity.
Zinnov acted as exclusive financial advisor to Tailwind Business Ventures in its acquisition by UST, providing strategic positioning, identification of the strategic buyer, deal structuring, and transaction closure, with emphasis on Tailwind's AI-based digital banking solutions, legacy modernization, and customization services to support UST's expansion of digital banking implementation and support services.

Rupee falls to record low amid foreign fund outflows and geopolitical risk; reserves and central bank tools cited as stabilisers.
The rupee hit a record low of 91.73 against the dollar due to persistent foreign fund outflows, volatile capital flows, weak domestic equities and geopolitical tensions; large foreign investor sales intensified the depreciation. Strong official foreign exchange reserves and possible central bank management are identified as stabilising factors, and a pending trade agreement with the US is noted as a potential confidence booster while the currency remains vulnerable to external shocks.

Acquisition of RBL Bank shareholding by Emirates NBD involves open offer, preferential allotment and amalgamation.
Approval of a combination in which Emirates NBD Bank proposes to acquire up to 74% of RBL Bank by: a mandatory open offer under SEBI rules representing up to 26% of expanded voting capital; a preferential allotment up to 60% of paid-up equity; and the proposed amalgamation of ENBD's India branch operations into RBL on a going concern basis.

Fintech park on Yamuna Expressway to host banking, payments, blockchain and attract national and international investment.
A 250 acre Fintech Park in Sector 11 of the Yamuna Expressway area will create an integrated financial technology ecosystem for banking, digital payments, insurtech, investtech, Fintech SaaS, blockchain and international money transfer, leveraging proximity to the Yamuna Expressway and Noida International Airport to attract national and international investment; a Detailed Project Report is being prepared by an international consultancy and the project is expected to generate substantial employment in fintech related sectors.

Indian rupee hits record low 90.97 against US dollar amid fund outflows and import-driven dollar demand.
The rupee closed at a record low of 90.97 against the US dollar due to strong dollar demand from metal importers and persistent foreign institutional investor outflows; geopolitical uncertainty and US expansionary signals increased risk aversion, while a weaker dollar and limited RBI intervention prevented a sharper fall; analysts expected USD INR to trade in a 90.70-91.25 range.

UST acquires Tailwind to expand digital banking implementation, modernization, and support capabilities across global markets.
UST acquired Tailwind Business Ventures to integrate Tailwind's AI-based digital banking implementation, legacy modernization, product and project management services, and platform partnerships into UST's offerings, thereby expanding UST's market share in digital banking implementation and support across LATAM, APAC, Africa, and North America; the transaction value was not disclosed.

ICSI elects new President and Vice President-experienced company secretaries with expertise in corporate law and regulatory compliance.
ICSI elected CS Pawan G Chandak as President and CS Dwarakanath Chennur as Vice President effective 19 January 2026. Both are senior Company Secretaries with extensive practice and leadership experience within ICSI; the President specialises in labour law, foreign exchange law, secretarial audit and corporate restructuring, and the Vice President is an Insolvency Professional with expertise in corporate law, FEMA/RBI and SEBI compliance. The release underscores ICSI's statutory role under the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 in regulating the profession and its emphasis on education, standards and regulatory compliance.

Appointment of Anil Grover as CEO reinforces governance-led trusteeship to strengthen investor trust and compliance across capital markets.
Appointment of Anil Grover as CEO emphasizes a governance-led trusteeship strategy to reinforce investor trust, operational resilience, and compliance across debt, structured finance and alternative investment ecosystems, leveraging regulatory experience, governance frameworks and technology platforms to support issuers, funds and financial institutions.

India's insurance sector advances policy reforms and IFSC measures to expand coverage and develop a global reinsurance hub.
The address positions Insurance for All by 2047 as the roadmap and identifies recent policy and regulatory measures-100% foreign investment liberalisation, registration of a new reinsurer, and the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment) Act, 2025 (establishing a Policyholders' Education and Protection Fund and aligning data protection)-as mechanisms to expand insurance accessibility and strengthen the reinsurance market, while the IFSCA Act, 2019 empowers GIFT City to enable foreign reinsurer branches and harmonise IFSC regulation with global standards.

Government delegation to Davos will seek global investment, technology partnerships and promote industrial development and GIFT City.
The Gujarat government delegation will present the Developed Gujarat @2047 roadmap at the World Economic Forum, pursue one to one meetings with global corporate leaders to attract investment and technology across priority sectors, and advance GIFT City's international banking, fund management, fintech, leasing and sustainable finance initiatives to facilitate capital flows and multinational engagement.

Crypto hawala networks siphon untraceable foreign funds into Jammu and Kashmir, bypassing regulated exchanges and AML checks.
A covert crypto hawala network directs foreign handlers to fund private crypto wallets-often created via VPNs-then converts those holdings into untraceable cash through unregulated peer to peer traders and layered mule accounts, severing the financial trail and enabling foreign sourced funds to enter the local economy while evading anti money laundering obligations.