The RBI has proposed allowing banks and NBFCs to invest up to 10% in AIF schemes—easing Dec’23 restrictions—with up to 5% allowed freely and higher exposure requiring full provisioning if linked borrowers are involved; this move enhances investment flexibility and opens new return-generating avenues for lenders.
The RBI has directed NBFCs to exclude default loss guarantees (DLGs) offered by fintechs when provisioning for loans, effective from Sep’25. Earlier, NBFCs used DLGs typically capped at 5% and backed by fixed deposits to reduce their provisioning burden.
State Bank of India (SBI) and seven other banks, including ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Axis Bank, have agreed to sell a combined 20% stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for INR 13.5K Cr. This marks the largest cross-border investment in India’s banking sector, making SMBC the largest shareholder in Yes Bank.
SEBI has relaxed norms for stock brokers to set up operations in GIFT City by allowing them to open Separate Business Units (SBUs) under existing entities without prior approval; this streamlines entry and offers brokers greater operational flexibility to expand presence and tap offshore opportunities in the IFSC zone.
SEBI has introduced key reforms in the equity derivatives market to protect investors, curb excessive speculation, and align derivatives trading with underlying cash market activity.
Effective from July to Dec’25, the measures include the use of delta-adjusted open interest (FutEq OI), revised market-wide position limits (MWPL) based on liquidity, caps on index derivative positions, mandatory intraday monitoring, and pre-open sessions for futures to enhance transparency and market stability
PayU has received final approval from the RBI to operate as an online payment aggregator under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. The Prosus-backed fintech can now onboard new merchants and offer digital payment solutions across 150+ methods, including UPI, cards, and net banking.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has proposed significant changes to the bancassurance model, suggesting a shift from the current commission-based structure to a transaction fee model. Under this proposal, banks would receive a transaction fee for each insurance policy sold, with the fee amount determined by market forces and no regulatory cap.