BUSINESS
Rural demand picks up as consumer optimism holds steady, RBI’s bulletin says
High-frequency indicators of aggregate demand for May suggested a pick-up in rural demand, especially given the strong performance of the agricultural sector, RBI bulletin says
BUSINESS
FinMin likely to allow Value-Added Services in insurance via legislative amendment end of July
The services offered would include wellness programs, preventive health check-ups, and teleconsultation, alongside core insurance products, sources say
BUSINESS
HDB’s right to use HDFC brand tied to July 2028 deadline; DRHP warns of potential rebranding
Trademark licence with HDFC Bank is revocable and ends when HDB ceases to be a subsidiary or by July 1, 2028 as per IPO documents. The DRHP points to funding and brand reliance, intra-group competition risks.
BUSINESS
Growth concerns, a major pain point for investors in financials
The broader consensus among investors seems to be that income growth among the population needs to improve for real credit demand to pick up.
BUSINESS
RBI's change in norms for NBFCs led to HDFC- HDFC Bank merger, says Deepak Parekh
The former HDFC chairman said ICICI Bank once made an offer to take over the mortgage lender but it was declined. On a podcast with ICICI Bank’s former chief, Chanda Kochhar, he recalled his most memorable experiences with the banking regulator
BUSINESS
MPC minutes: 100 bps rate cuts provide certainty in uncertain times, support growth, says RBI Governor
The package of measures will provide some certainty in the times of uncertainty and is expected to support growth, says RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra
BUSINESS
HDB Financial’s IPO leaves close to 50,000 early investors face up to 48% notional loss
Priced at Rs 700–740 per share, the IPO is up to 50 percent below levels paid by early investors pre-IPO
BUSINESS
MC Explained | ‘Dark patterns’ and ‘privacy zuckering’: Why they're the next big buzzwords in Insurance
A LocalCircles survey has revealed that digital insurance platforms are using tactics such as pre-ticked boxes, policy bundling and 'privacy zuckering' to push unwanted products and collect excessive data, prompting regulatory scrutiny.
BUSINESS
Credit-life policies fall 30% in FY25 for top life insurers, as they pull back from MFI market
Major players such as HDFC Life Insurance, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, SBI Life Insurance, and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance have significantly cut their exposure to group product category in FY25.
BUSINESS
Unpacking insurance claims for the Air India plane crash: Who pays what and how
The IIB portal acts as a centralised database of insurance policies issued by various insurers across India. It is primarily designed to assist in identifying and verifying insurance coverage
BUSINESS
Without open architecture, harder to build sustainable career in insurance: Go Digit's Kamesh Goyal
Health insurance is going through a phase of structural stress—both for customers and insurers, says Goyal
BUSINESS
UGRO Capital to acquire Profectus Capital in Rs 1,400-crore all-cash deal to boost MSME lending
Sources say the transaction which has concluded at 1.07 times Profectus’ projected FY26 net worth, is being funded by UGRO through proceeds from its recently completed equity raise and internal accruals.
BUSINESS
India’s Insurance sector faced maximum cyber onslaught in FY25
Prominent insurers such as Star Health and Allied Insurance, Niva Bupa Health Insurance, HDFC Life Insurance, Tata AIG General Insurance, and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) have found themselves at the forefront of data breaches
BUSINESS
Why global reinsurers are concerned about wet lease agreements in Indian aviation
While domestic insurers handle the initial aviation payouts, the bulk of the financial risk, often up to 95 percent, is passed on to global reinsurers
BUSINESS
Ahmedabad plane crash: Travel insurance premiums unlikely to spike, experts say
While the aviation insurance sector faces mounting pressure from global events, individual travel insurance policies are expected to remain stable for now, with only moderate increases projected over the next year
BUSINESS
Air India, Akasa Air and SpiceJet may face potential insurance premium hike to $40–50 mn, may increase airfares by 2–5%
Aviation insurance premiums are calculated based on risk assessments, which consider factors like aircraft type, manufacturer reputation, airline safety records, and incident history
BUSINESS
New India Assurance, Tata AIG likely key insurers for Air India plane crash; hull insurance likely up to $300 million
Air India’s fleet is insured for $20 billion with a $30 million premium, unchanged from the 2023-24 financial year’s $30 million for $10 billion coverage
BUSINESS
Not giving Sanlam more than 50% stake in Shriram Wealth, says Shriram Capital CEO
Piramal Group, which holds stakes in Shriram’s insurance businesses, is neither actively looking to exit nor in a rush to do so and will take a call as things unfold, says Subhasri Sriram
BUSINESS
Life insurers grapple with post-Covid mortality spike, see 25% decline in insurance coverage
Mortality rate for insurers such as HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential and SBI Life is higher than the Covid-19 peak
BUSINESS
India’s top banks earn Rs 21,773 crore in insurance commissions amidst mis-selling concerns
Of 10 banks surveyed on commissions earned through their insurance arms, seven earned more than half of their insurance commissions by selling policies from affiliated insurers, a report says
BUSINESS
Non-life insurance industry sees 6.5% growth in May 2025, demonstrates mixed signals across insurers
Cumulative premiums for April–May (first two months of FY26) reached Rs 55,854 crore
BUSINESS
Private life insurers ride on premium products to increase market share even as policy volumes fall
The group insurance segment has emerged as the key growth engine in May, contributing over Rs 19,850 crore which is higher by more than 13 percent from last year.
BUSINESS
RBI to halt daily VRR auctions from June 11 as system liquidity reaches surplus of Rs 2.75 trillion
VRR auctions fell to Rs 97,861 crore in May, compared to Rs 13,48,316 crore in January, indicating surplus liquidity
BUSINESS
Jana Small Finance Bank seeks RBI nod to transition into universal bank
The application was made under the regulatory framework outlined in the RBI’s “On Tap” licensing guidelines for small finance banks issued on December 5, 2019, and the latest circular on voluntary transition to universal banks released by the RBI on April 26, 2024
