Subrata Panda, Abhijit Lele

Stories by Subrata Panda, Abhijit Lele

RBI likely to hike rates by 50 bps as inflation breaches tolerance band

RBI likely to hike rates by 50 bps as inflation breaches tolerance band

Rediff.com   16 Sep 2026

Economists widely anticipate the Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee will increase the repo rate by 50 basis points, likely split between the October and December meetings, as retail inflation is projected to peak at 6.1 per cent in the third quarter, exceeding the RBI's tolerance limit.

Banks will take 3-4 months to deploy FCNR(B) flows: Setty

Banks will take 3-4 months to deploy FCNR(B) flows: Setty

Rediff.com   11 Sep 2026

State Bank of India Chairman C S Setty stated that banks will take three to four months to deploy the significant funds mobilised through foreign currency non-resident (bank), or FCNR(B), deposits, which is unlikely to cause "abnormal lending". He also highlighted the need for agentic artificial intelligence (AI) costs to fall sharply for its widespread deployment in India, envisioning its role in transforming banking from fraud detection to personalised financial assistance.

Axis Bank CEO cautions 'abnormal lending' from FCNR(B) inflows, hints at rate hike

Axis Bank CEO cautions 'abnormal lending' from FCNR(B) inflows, hints at rate hike

Rediff.com   10 Sep 2026

Axis Bank MD & CEO Amitabh Chaudhry has cautioned that the surge in FCNR(B) deposits could lead to 'abnormal lending' as banks seek to deploy excess liquidity, while also hinting at a potential interest rate hike in the near future.

RBI Deputy Governor flags systemic risk from financial institutions' reliance on common tech providers

RBI Deputy Governor flags systemic risk from financial institutions' reliance on common tech providers

Rediff.com   10 Sep 2026

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Rohit Jain has warned that financial institutions' increasing reliance on a small number of common technology providers, including cloud and AI model providers, could create a new source of systemic risk. He highlighted 'speed, concentration and opacity' as key risks, noting that a disruption at one provider could rapidly spread across multiple institutions, amplifying existing financial risks.

Aadhaar: 'Fraudsters Get Smarter, But We're Also Getting Smarter'

Aadhaar: 'Fraudsters Get Smarter, But We're Also Getting Smarter'

Rediff.com   10 Sep 2026

'It's A Cat And Mouse Game.'

Fintech 'Valuable Partner' in Building Future Financial System: RBI Governor

Fintech 'Valuable Partner' in Building Future Financial System: RBI Governor

Rediff.com   9 Sep 2026

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated that the central bank consistently views fintechs as 'valuable partners' in shaping India's future financial system, crediting the sector with expanding financial inclusion, enhancing customer experience, and streamlining credit delivery, particularly for MSMEs.

NBFCs see significant gold loan growth, outpacing banks

NBFCs see significant gold loan growth, outpacing banks

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2026

Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) experienced a significant 68.5 per cent year-on-year growth in gold-backed credit in July 2026, while banks saw their gold loan growth moderate to 88.1 per cent from 136.4 per cent a year prior, according to RBI data.

Who Will Succeed Sashidhar Jagdishan At HDFC?

Who Will Succeed Sashidhar Jagdishan At HDFC?

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2026

Potential external candidates include Anup Bagchi, Rajiv Sabharwal and CSB Bank's Pralay Mondal.

The Sashidhar Jagdishan years at HDFC Bank: Crisis, merger, and scrutiny

The Sashidhar Jagdishan years at HDFC Bank: Crisis, merger, and scrutiny

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2026

Sashidhar Jagdishan, the managing director and CEO of HDFC Bank, has announced his decision not to seek reappointment and will retire at the end of his current term on October 26, concluding a six-year tenure marked by significant regulatory and governance challenges, including RBI restrictions, a major merger, and scrutiny over alleged illegal payments.

Google Asked To Urgently Remove Fake Bank Web Sites

Google Asked To Urgently Remove Fake Bank Web Sites

Rediff.com   22 Aug 2026

Phishing sites mimicked SBI, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank to steal card details and OTPs.

Tata Sons Listing: Suspense Continues

Tata Sons Listing: Suspense Continues

Rediff.com   21 Aug 2026

Tata Sons approached the RBI in 2024 seeking de-registration after becoming debt-free, a move that would allow it to remain a privately held, unlisted company. The application has remained pending.

Private Banks Intensify FCNR(B) Push as RBI Swap Window Nears Closure

Private Banks Intensify FCNR(B) Push as RBI Swap Window Nears Closure

Rediff.com   19 Aug 2026

Private banks in India are aggressively mobilising Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank), or FCNR(B), deposits by raising interest rates and using website countdowns, as the Reserve Bank of India's swap window is set to close on August 31, earlier than initially planned.

India's Balance of Payments Deficit Expands to $8.1 Billion in Q1FY27

India's Balance of Payments Deficit Expands to $8.1 Billion in Q1FY27

Rediff.com   15 Aug 2026

India's balance of payments (BoP) recorded an $8.1 billion deficit in the first quarter of 2026-27 (Q1FY27), a significant increase from a $4.5 billion surplus in the corresponding period of the previous year, primarily driven by a sharp reversal in portfolio flows.

RBI Keeps Tata Sons Waiting

RBI Keeps Tata Sons Waiting

Rediff.com   7 Aug 2026

The RBI once again said the Tata group holding company's application for deregistration as an NBFC remains under examination.

Tata Sons continues as 'upper-layer NBFC'; listing application pending

Tata Sons continues as 'upper-layer NBFC'; listing application pending

Rediff.com   7 Aug 2026

Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group, continues to be classified as an 'upper-layer non-banking financial company' (NBFC) by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), despite its application to deregister as an NBFC-Core Investment Company (CIC) remaining under consideration. This classification subjects it to enhanced regulation and a mandatory listing requirement, which remains uncertain.

Bajaj Finance sees 29% profit surge in Q1, driven by robust NII and AUM growth

Bajaj Finance sees 29% profit surge in Q1, driven by robust NII and AUM growth

Rediff.com   31 Jul 2026

Bajaj Finance, India's largest private-sector NBFC, reported a 29 per cent year-on-year increase in standalone net profit to 5,346 crore for Q1FY27, propelled by robust growth in net interest income and assets under management, which surpassed 4 trillion.

RBI allows banks to link bulk deposit rates to liquidity profile

RBI allows banks to link bulk deposit rates to liquidity profile

Rediff.com   31 Jul 2026

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced a new framework allowing banks to offer differential interest rates on bulk deposits based on their liquidity characteristics under the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) framework, while maintaining the principle of uniform pricing across similar deposits.

FCNR (B) Inflows May Surpass 2013 Levels in 45 Days, SBI Research Raises Estimates

FCNR (B) Inflows May Surpass 2013 Levels in 45 Days, SBI Research Raises Estimates

Rediff.com   28 Jul 2026

Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank), or FCNR (B), deposits mobilised under the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) concessional swap facility may have already surpassed the amount raised during the 2013 scheme in just about 45 days, prompting SBI Research to sharply raise its estimate for inflows under the facility to $65-70 billion.

Bank of Baroda Hit by Cyberattack

Bank of Baroda Hit by Cyberattack

Rediff.com   28 Jul 2026

The incident involved compromise of an employee's email account, resulting in unauthorised access to certain data.

PSU Banks Q1FY27: BoB's Profit Dips on Settlement, BoI's Rises on Loan Growth

PSU Banks Q1FY27: BoB's Profit Dips on Settlement, BoI's Rises on Loan Growth

Rediff.com   25 Jul 2026

State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) reported a 72 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) drop in net profit to 1,278 crore for Q1FY27 due to a $600 million out-of-court settlement related to NMC Health Plc. In contrast, Bank of India (BoI) saw its net profit rise by 36.23 per cent Y-o-Y to 3,068 crore for the same quarter, driven by healthy loan growth and improved asset quality.