Saloni Shukla

The additions were led, once again, by the country's largest issuers. HDFC Bank topped the list, adding 163,000 net new credit cards and edging past SBI Cards, which added 162,000. ICICI Bank added 151,000 cards, while Federal Bank continued its strong momentum with 101,000 net new additions.

Our credit cost was 2.13% of loans including the microfinance portfolio, against a guidance of 2.10%. This year, encouraged by seeing our credit quality in the first quarter, we are targeting 50 bps lesser credit cost, say 1.5% to 1.6%. On Rs 3 lakh crore book it materially adds to profitability. Frankly, except the MFI issue, which was an industry issue, all through FY25 and FY26 also, our rest of the book performed very well and as per plan.

The additions were led, once again, by the country's largest issuers. HDFC Bank topped the list, adding 163,000 net new credit cards and edging past SBI Cards, which added 162,000. ICICI Bank added 151,000 cards, while Federal Bank continued its strong momentum with 101,000 net new additions.

India has attracted nearly $32 billion in foreign capital since the RBI announced special inflow measures on June 5, Governor Sanjay Malhotra said. FCNR(B) deposits have already exceeded the 2013 record, but strong dollar demand linked to costly oil imports and weak exporter hedging continues to keep the rupee near record lows.

In a notable move, HDFC Bank has penalized senior executives and delivered warning letters after conducting an internal assessment of a deposit arrangement from 2017 and 2021. The bank's board determined that the actions were categorized as business overreach, lacking any improper intentions. Consequently, three senior officials received fines of one lakh rupees each, and the matter will also be reported to the Reserve Bank of India.

JC Flowers Asset Reconstruction Company is in talks to merge with ACRE. This move would create one of the largest bad-loan aggregators in India. The two companies are in advanced discussions for a stock-swap deal. JC Flowers would wind down its India operations and surrender its license. A formal proposal is expected to be submitted to the RBI soon.

The Delhi High Court has issued a ruling for the liquidation of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd, following the Reserve Bank of India's decision to annul its banking license due to major concerns regarding management practices and regulatory compliance. An official liquidator will oversee the bank's dissolution, but it is important to note that this action does not impact other Paytm services.

Axis Bank will increase the DCC fee on its credit cards to 3.5% from 1.5%, effective August 28, 2026, according to the bank's revised terms and conditions. Kotak Mahindra Bank will raise the fee on debit-card transactions to 3.5% plus goods and services tax (GST), from 1% plus GST, effective August 1.

"Our Casa was only 10% initially. For the first three or four years of taking over management of this bank, we slowed down the loan book and focused on building the Casa ratio to 50%," V Vaidyanathan, MD and CEO, IDFC First Bank, told ET in an interview. "If we had kept growing the loan book, we could never have addressed structural issues like this. I believe in playing the long game in every format."

India's new forex inflow programs may attract approximately one hundred billion dollars. These special drives have already mobilized over forty billion dollars in foreign exchange. Experts predict these initiatives could significantly exceed initial mobilization estimates. The Reserve Bank of India introduced these facilities to support the balance of payments. These programs aim to cushion the rupee and contain imported inflation.