Phishing sites mimicked SBI, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank to steal card details and OTPs.
Bank fraud is no longer just an external cyber threat -- insiders with legitimate access can exploit banking systems, trusted credentials and institutional blind spots to quietly siphon money.
State Bank of India (SBI) is extensively using artificial intelligence to underwrite nearly Rs 1 lakh crore in MSME loans and automate the processing of cheques up to Rs 10,000. This AI adoption aims to enhance efficiency, free up employee bandwidth, and improve customer service across various banking functions.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the government's plan to establish a high-powered committee to examine reforms for the banking sector, aligning it with the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) and India's next phase of growth.
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.
A sophisticated cross-bank syndicate is systematically defrauding non-resident Indians (NRIs) and elderly citizens by exploiting their fixed deposits through forged documents and fictitious loans, often involving colluding bank employees and real estate deals.
'It's not about individuals operating the mule accounts being more or less skilled. Instead, 'lower-level' refers to the role the individual account plays in the broader mule network.'
A new report by FICCI, BCG, and IBA outlines that India's banking sector must grow significantly faster than nominal GDP to support a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047, requiring banking assets of USD 45 trillion. The report highlights the sector's current strength, challenges in digitisation, and the need to enhance resilience against fraud and cyber threats, proposing a 13-point agenda for stakeholders.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that investigating agencies cannot impose a blanket debit freeze on a person's bank account during cybercrime investigations. The court stated that restraint must be proportionate to the suspected proceeds of crime, directing banks to de-freeze accounts beyond the disputed amount. This ruling aims to protect innocent account holders from complete financial deprivation due to minor disputed transactions.
Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) Managing Director and CEO P N Vasudevan stated, "We may end up applying within a year" for a universal banking licence, while also targeting a nearly threefold increase in advances to Rs 1.2 trillion over the next five years.
The World Bank's "World Development Report 2026" urges developing countries to adopt low-cost AI tools to accelerate progress in healthcare, education, and judicial services. The report highlights AI's potential to boost productivity and improve public services, while noting that jobs in high-income countries are more at risk from automation than those in developing nations.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini met with a World Bank delegation to discuss advancing Artificial Intelligence, digital governance, and skill development in the state. The discussions focused on leveraging technology to enhance citizen services, with plans to showcase Haryana's AI Sandbox globally and develop a dedicated AI model for the state.
The Delhi High Court has ordered the winding up of Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) following the Reserve Bank of India's cancellation of its banking licence due to non-compliance and concerns over depositor interests.
'PowerBank-50 is now space proven, made in India, and ready for every satellite builder in the world.'
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.
It is because dealing with a regulatory system that is largely headed by retired IAS officers then becomes relatively easy, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Bandhan Bank has launched a new digital Provident Fund (PF) payment service, integrated with EPFO, allowing business customers to make statutory PF payments via the bank's internet banking platform. This service aims to streamline payments, optimise cash flows, and ensure timely compliance for businesses.
HDFC Bank's board is actively discussing the appointment of its new managing director and chief executive officer (MD & CEO) as incumbent Sashidhar Jagdishan's three-year term concludes in October, with the Governance, Nomination and Remuneration Committee (GNRC) expected to finalise the process soon.
While the latest trigger for him stepping down could be the uncertainty around his renewal as a director at the AGM, which is otherwise a routine matter, Chandra may have been contemplating quitting for some time now because of the overall turbulence with the principal shareholder on the leadership issue.
Andhra Pradesh and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have signed an MoU to establish the PNB Quantum Finance Hub at Amaravati Quantum Valley. This initiative aims to foster innovation and adopt next-generation technologies like AI and Quantum Computing in the banking sector, focusing on cybersecurity, fraud detection, and customer experience.
ICICI Bank has successfully raised $1 billion through a five-year senior unsecured US dollar bond, marking its first public dollar bond issuance since 2017 and the largest single-tranche US dollar bond issuance by an Indian issuer so far this year.
HDFC Bank's board has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 lakh each on its Managing Director and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan, CFO Srinivasan Vaidyanathan, and Group Head (Retail Assets) Arvind Vohra for divergence from RBI directions in the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) case.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued amended directions for bank boards, effective October 1, 2026, to rationalise agenda items and enable more focused engagement on strategy and risk governance, while explicitly defining matters reserved for board approval and periodically reviewing delegated powers.
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.
HDFC Bank, India's largest private sector lender, reported a reduction of 3,343 employees in FY26, bringing its total workforce to 2,11,178, even as its balance sheet expanded by 12 per cent. The bank's MD and CEO, Sashidhar Jagdishan, attributed the headcount reduction to redeploying talent from back-end functions to customer-facing roles due to technology-led efficiencies. The annual report also addressed the challenging resignation of part-time chairman Atanu Chakraborty, which raised questions about the bank's governance standards.
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has completed a decade since its launch, becoming the backbone of India's digital payments ecosystem. It has seen exponential growth in transaction volume and value, expanding financial inclusion and setting a global benchmark for real-time payments.
Despite large inflows of foreign funds mobilised through the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) concessional swap schemes, the rupee has seen little impact because the dollars have largely been absorbed into the central bank's reserves instead of being released into the spot market, according to market participants.
India's foreign exchange reserves increased by $9.9 billion to $716.9 billion for the week ended August 14, as reported by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This surge follows a previous jump of $14.14 billion in the week prior, indicating a robust recovery after a period of decline earlier this year.
The Supreme Court of India has quashed criminal proceedings against Standard Chartered Bank and one of its officers in a 1991-92 Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) case, citing an extraordinary 23-year delay in prosecution and the Enforcement Directorate's failure to comply with mandatory procedural safeguards.
Gold loans accounted for 41 per cent of retail loan disbursements in FY26, up sharply from 18 per cent in FY23 and 20 per cent in FY24.
That means making it easier to invest, protecting investors through predictable rules, and avoiding policy reversals after investments have been made, notes Rajeswari Sengupta.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu highlighted that the success of UPI, which handles nearly half of the world's real-time digital transactions, stems from a collaborative ecosystem including financial inclusion, digital identity, and affordable internet. He attributed this digital payments revolution to the vision of PM Narendra Modi.
Commercial banks in India recorded their highest credit growth in two years, accelerating to 18.6 per cent year-on-year by June 27, while also mobilising nearly 7 trillion in deposits, marking the third-highest fortnightly deposit growth in 29 years.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded UPI on its 10th anniversary, highlighting its role in India's digital transformation. Launched by NPCI in 2016, UPI has become the world's largest real-time payment system, witnessing a massive surge in transaction volume and value, demonstrating its success in empowering people with swift, seamless, and secure digital transactions.
The RBI seems to be acknowledging that all deposits are not equal -- a deposit with a lower run-off assumption is inherently more valuable than one that could disappear overnight, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
ICICI Bank, India's second-largest private-sector lender, is set to raise approximately $500 million through an overseas dollar bond issuance, marking its first such move in nearly a decade. This fundraising effort will utilise the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) concessional swap window, a facility designed to reduce hedging costs for foreign currency borrowings.
India's foreign exchange reserves saw one of their largest weekly expansions, surging by USD 14.136 billion to reach USD 707.002 billion during the week ended August 7, according to the Reserve Bank of India.
It's not about how much you earn -- it's about how you borrow and repay.
RBI Deputy Governor Rohit Jain discussed the future of India's foreign exchange markets, highlighting the increasing role of local currencies in cross-border trade, the impact of technology, and existing challenges. He emphasised the need for market evolution to facilitate India's global engagement, absorb shocks, and serve all users efficiently. Jain also addressed concerns about unauthorised forex trading platforms and the importance of customer awareness.
The Enforcement Directorate has frozen bank deposits of the Trinamool Congress worth Rs 440 crore under the anti-money laundering law. This action follows searches in a funds misappropriation case, with allegations of significant transfers to a private aviation company and the purchase of luxury aircraft.
