As deposit growth lags credit expansion, Indian banks face shrinking low-cost Casa inflows, rising funding costs, and structural shifts driven by UPI, e-Kuber, and digital savings trends, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed to remove the BJP from power in West Bengal and then at the national level, accusing the Election Commission of favouring the BJP and criticising the opposition parties.
Kerala's 2026 assembly election will see a three-cornered contest where religion and communalism have emerged as central themes for the first time, challenging the state's long-celebrated secular fabric.
Gold prices are likely to trade firm next week as traders await key economic data, including US inflation numbers, for fresh cues on interest rate outlook, while silver may remain volatile amid shifting risk sentiment and speculative activity, analysts said.
The country's largest lender SBI is open to collaborating with foreign banks once the Reserve Bank makes it possible for local banks to do acquisition finance, its chairman CS Setty said on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters, weeks after the central bank announced its intent to allow Indian banks to fund companies for executing domestic acquisitions, Setty acknowledged that the "MNC (multinational companies) banks" are dominant in the space.
Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday said the key policy rates will remain at low levels for a long period and may go down even further.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee engaged in a war of words during election rallies, with Modi accusing the TMC of supporting divisive forces and Banerjee alleging the BJP plans to divide the state.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has accused the TMC of pursuing appeasement policies in West Bengal, urging voters to support a BJP government for inclusive governance and development.
The UK High Court has rejected Nirav Modi's attempt to reopen his extradition case, citing the Indian government's comprehensive assurances against torture as sufficient to allow his transfer to India.
Head of central banks from various countries get into a 'Basel huddle' every second month at Basel at the headquarters of the Bank for International Settlement.
The previous largest weekly decline was recorded in the week ended November 15, 2024.
The bull-market in gold is not yet over and prices can rise to $6,200 an ounce (oz) by mid-2026, up nearly 25 per cent from current levels, according to UBS.
This election is different. It is no longer simply about governance or welfare. It is about identity, fear, and who belongs. The BJP has successfully shifted the terms of the debate from what the government has delivered to who the real Bengali is and who is an outsider, points out Ramesh Menon.
India's forex reserves jumped by $3.29 billion to $696.61 billion in the week to December 26, the RBI said on Friday. The overall kitty had increased by $4.368 billion to $693.32 billion in the previous reporting week.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has criticised the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging that its policies have led to increased infiltration and threaten national security. He framed the upcoming elections as a battle against these issues, promising change if the BJP comes to power.
Households should moderate large discretionary expenses for the time being.
'They should prioritise essential spending. They should maintain an emergency fund covering 6 to 12 months of expenses.'
Sanjay Malhotra has made structural changes to banking regulation to bring down costs and increase efficiency. Plus, he kicked off a benign interest regime. But there are challenges ahead.
Kerala is set to hold its Assembly election, with the ruling LDF aiming for a historic third term, the UDF seeking a comeback, and the NDA striving to gain a foothold in the state's political landscape.
AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot has accused Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of following similar political approaches to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging a tacit understanding between the CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala.
Macroeconomic data, global geopolitical developments and rising concerns over AI-related disruptions are likely to dictate sentiment in the stock market next week, even as investors may remain cautious amid ongoing volatility, according to analysts.
A special court in Mumbai has dropped corruption charges against Guruashish Construction and its directors in a multi-crore cheating case after the CBI found no public servants involved in the alleged graft.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of planning to increase fuel prices after the West Bengal assembly elections. He challenged the BJP to promise no price hikes for LPG, petrol, and diesel over the next five years.
RBI's oversight cadre move creates HR trouble, officers threaten agitation.
The Enforcement Directorate has restored assets worth over 15,000 crore to a Supreme Court-appointed committee for distribution to investors defrauded in the PACL (Pearls Group) Ponzi scheme.
Two men in Bengaluru have been arrested for allegedly defrauding people by offering electric vehicles at subsidised rates under a fake central government scheme.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticised the Congress party for its alleged inaction in addressing Maoist violence during its long rule, while highlighting the Modi government's success in nearly eradicating Maoists from Bastar, Chhattisgarh.
The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at multiple locations in Mumbai and Hyderabad as part of a money laundering investigation against Reliance Power Ltd., a group company of businessman Anil Ambani.
Raghuram Rajan rejected the argument that inflation has come down largely because of "good luck" stemming from low oil prices.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of protecting infiltrators from the Muslim community for political gain. He also alleged corruption and economic decline under the TMC government.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee alleges the BJP-led government may increase fuel prices after the West Bengal assembly elections, accusing them of neglecting the common man and withholding funds from the state.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed banks to grant need-based working capital loans to manufacturers using gold as raw material, extending the provision currently available only to jewellers. Banks are generally prohibited from lending for the purchase of gold/silver in any form, or lending against the security of primary gold/silver.
The IRGC said the strikes were conducted in support of offensives by Hezbollah and residents of southern Lebanon, and described them as the beginning of a series of pre-announced operations against Israel.
New investors should enter gradually and with a long horizon. 'Staggered investment through systematic purchase plans is advisable rather than lump-sum buying.'
Two more leading public sector lenders, Central Bank of India and IDBI Bank, on Friday joined the rate hike spree following the Reserve Bank's recent hike in interest rates by announcing a hike of 75 basis point in their base rates.
India's forex reserves jumped by $4.36 billion to $693 billion during the week ended December 19, the Reserve Bank said on Friday. The overall kitty had increased by $1.69 billion to $688.95 billion in the previous week.
By piling more pressure on governments, central banks risk not accomplishing much and yet provoking a political backlash that could threaten their independence.
For commercial banks to float subsidiaries, approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may not remain mandatory, according to highly placed sources.
Delhi Police have arrested two individuals from Rajasthan for allegedly defrauding a Delhi resident of over 21 lakh through a high-return online investment scam. The accused lured the victim with promises of lucrative returns and prepaid tasks.
Gold prices fell by Rs 400 to Rs 1.6 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Thursday amid weak global trends and receding expectations of an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of appeasing Muslims and protecting infiltrators, while the BJP promises to bring 'Ram Rajya' to the state if elected.
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