Subrata Panda, Aathira Varier

Stories by Subrata Panda, Aathira Varier

'Insurance penetration continues to remain low'

'Insurance penetration continues to remain low'

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2025

'By quick, fast, and just awards, the insurance ombudsman can bring the trust of the policyholders in the insurance system and insurance as a product and create a positive impact on the entire industry.'

M&M, Manulife to form life insurance JV with 7,200 crore investment

M&M, Manulife to form life insurance JV with 7,200 crore investment

Rediff.com   14 Nov 2025

Canadian firm Manulife and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), an Indian automaker with interests in financial services, have signed an agreement to form a 50:50 life insurance joint venture (JV) with a total capital commitment of up to Rs 3,600 crore each totalling Rs 7,200 crore.

Bank loan books report healthy growth in Q2

Bank loan books report healthy growth in Q2

Rediff.com   31 Oct 2025

The pickup was driven partly by fresh corporate investment but more by higher working-capital demand.

'Emirates NBD Is In RBL For 15-20 Years'

'Emirates NBD Is In RBL For 15-20 Years'

Rediff.com   29 Oct 2025

'It is not looking at valuation, but investment, growth and ultimately better profit for stakeholders.'

Blackstone to invest Rs 6,200 crore for 9.99% stake in Federal Bank

Blackstone to invest Rs 6,200 crore for 9.99% stake in Federal Bank

Rediff.com   25 Oct 2025

Private-sector lender Federal Bank on Friday announced that New York-based Blackstone will invest Rs 6,196.51 crore in the bank through its affiliate Asia II Topco XIII Pte Ltd via a preferential issue on a private placement basis.

RBI proposes to allow banks to fund acquisitions

RBI proposes to allow banks to fund acquisitions

Rediff.com   25 Oct 2025

Banks will be able to give loans to Indian companies for acquiring the entire equity stake or a controlling part of it in domestic or foreign firms as strategic investment that creates long-term value rather than for short-term financial restructuring if the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) draft circular, issued on Friday, comes to fruition.

Credit card transactions surge; debit cards' decline: RBI

Credit card transactions surge; debit cards' decline: RBI

Rediff.com   24 Oct 2025

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) Payment Systems Report highlighted that between 2019 and 2024, credit card transactions doubled in volume and almost tripled in value. During the same period, however, debit card transactions witnessed a decline, both in volume and value.

Recent RBI policies to help banks stay at equilibrium: Kamath

Recent RBI policies to help banks stay at equilibrium: Kamath

Rediff.com   17 Oct 2025

The recent policies that have been announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will allow banks to fully use its capital, funding profile to keep business at an equilibrium level, which otherwise was getting skewed towards retail, said K V Kamath, chairman, Jio Financial Services.

India Inc hits bond mkt to raise over Rs 17,500 cr

India Inc hits bond mkt to raise over Rs 17,500 cr

Rediff.com   15 Oct 2025

Indian corporates collectively raised over Rs 17,500 crore from the domestic debt capital market through bond issuances on Tuesday. The issuances were led by Bharti Telecom's Rs 10,500 crore fundraise in two tranches, the largest by an Indian company in the domestic market so far in FY26.

Insurance staff oppose pvt sector entry in top PSU posts

Insurance staff oppose pvt sector entry in top PSU posts

Rediff.com   14 Oct 2025

The All India Insurance Employees' Association has opposed the government directive seeking to open up top posts in the state-owned insurers to the private sector, saying this would lead to greater private influence and "eventual privatisation".

Credit quality of companies likely to remain stable in H2

Credit quality of companies likely to remain stable in H2

Rediff.com   8 Oct 2025

Credit quality of Indian corporate is expected to be stable in the second half of the current financial year (H2FY26), supported by easing monetary cycle, and declining inflation, coupled with income-tax relief and rationalisation of the goods and service tax (GST) rates, among others.

RBI in no hurry to launch digital currency nationwide

RBI in no hurry to launch digital currency nationwide

Rediff.com   8 Oct 2025

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is in no rush to launch the central bank digital currency (CBDC) nationwide, as its most promising use case - cross-border payments - depends on other countries rolling out their own CBDCs simultaneously for the system to work effectively. That said, the CBDC pilot is progressing well, with the user base in India expanding to about seven million, said RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar.

Banks can now fund India Inc's M&A drive

Banks can now fund India Inc's M&A drive

Rediff.com   2 Oct 2025

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday met the long-standing demand of banks by allowing them to finance acquisitions by Indian companies, a move that also expands banks' capital market lending in the country.

Tata Capital eyes Rs 1.38 trn mcap in largest NBFC IPO

Tata Capital eyes Rs 1.38 trn mcap in largest NBFC IPO

Rediff.com   30 Sep 2025

Tata Capital is set to launch India's largest ever initial public offering (IPO) by a non-banking financial company (NBFC), valuing the Tata group firm at Rs 1.38 trillion. This will make the company India's fifth-most-valued NBFC after Bajaj Finance (Rs 6.12 trillion), Bajaj Finserv (Rs 3.2 trillion), Jio Financial Services (Rs 1.87 trillion), and IRFC (Rs 1.59 trillion).

UPI Boom Drives Down Cash Demand

UPI Boom Drives Down Cash Demand

Rediff.com   25 Sep 2025

UPI crossed 20 billion monthly transactions for the first time in August 2025, with a transaction value of Rs 24.85 trillion.

'No Indian insurer can ignore bancassurance'

'No Indian insurer can ignore bancassurance'

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2025

'While we expand into other areas, banca remains our primary channel, and we continue to be a banca-led organisation.'

Tax cut may bolster credit growth in H2

Tax cut may bolster credit growth in H2

Rediff.com   5 Sep 2025

After a subdued first quarter of 2025-26 (Q1FY26), banks are now betting big on the festive season, rolling out attractive loan offers to boost credit growth in the second half of the current financial year (H2FY26) - a trend likely to be further accentuated by the second-order effects of the good services tax (GST) cuts.

India Inc lukewarm to bank loans

India Inc lukewarm to bank loans

Rediff.com   4 Sep 2025

Despite corporate bond yields hardening by 20-25 basis points, Indian corporates are not warming up to bank funding for their capital expenditure needs as bank lending rates remain elevated due to the higher cost of liabilities, compared to current rates in the debt capital market.

Can UPI Stay Free Forever?

Can UPI Stay Free Forever?

Rediff.com   2 Sep 2025

Several executives argue that UPI has the potential to grow tenfold, but warn that the absence of a monetisation model risks stagnating the real-time payments system, which has been recording all-time-high transaction volumes every year.

Top four life insurance companies covered 14 mn fewer lives in FY25

Top four life insurance companies covered 14 mn fewer lives in FY25

Rediff.com   29 Aug 2025

Some of the leading life insurance companies have reported a sharp decline in the number of lives covered in FY25, largely due to a slowdown in credit-linked life insurance policies. Stress in the microfinance segment has reduced loan disbursements and, in turn, the flow of new customers to insurers.