Current Affairs - Banking

The Reserve Bank of India approved Kotak Mahindra Bank to acquire up to 9.99% stake in both AU Small Finance Bank and Federal Bank. The approval allowed the Kotak Mahindra Group to increase its aggregate holding in the two banking institutions through paid-up share capital or voting rights. Following the announcement, market valuations of the involved banks witnessed positive movement. Kotak Mahindra Bank, founded by Uday Kotak in 1985, became the first Non-Banking Financial Company in India to convert into a commercial bank in 2003. The development highlights ongoing consolidation and strategic investments within India’s banking and financial sector.

Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) recorded a strong non-food credit growth of 15.9% during the financial year 2025-26. This marked a significant improvement compared to the previous year’s growth rate of 10.9%. The increase was driven by rising demand for credit across the industrial, agricultural, and services sectors. Industrial credit saw notable expansion in infrastructure and manufacturing, while agriculture benefited from improved rural consumption and formal credit systems. The services sector also experienced strong growth due to NBFCs, trade, and commercial real estate activities. Overall, the data reflect increased economic activity and stronger lending momentum within the Indian banking sector.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced a $70 billion investment initiative aimed at strengthening cross-border power grids and digital infrastructure across Asia and the Pacific by 2035. The announcement was made during the ADB Annual Meeting held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The initiative includes the Pan-Asia Power Grid project, which seeks to integrate renewable energy systems and transmission networks, and the Asia-Pacific Digital Highway project, focused on improving broadband access, data infrastructure, and AI readiness. The ADB also established a Centre for AI Innovation and Development in Seoul to promote responsible AI adoption and digital skill training. Founded in 1966, the ADB is headquartered in Metro Manila, Philippines.

Paytm Payments Bank is the entity whose licence was cancelled by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) using its powers under Section 22(4) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The cancellation led to a complete prohibition on conducting all banking activities, including those defined under Sections 5(b) and 6 of the Act. This action resulted in an immediate halt to its operations. Payments banks in India are designed to facilitate digital transactions and accept limited deposits, but they cannot issue loans or credit cards, making regulatory compliance crucial for their functioning.

Punjab National Bank collaborated with fintech platform Kiwi to introduce a credit-on-UPI card, marking an important development in digital payments. The card operates on the RuPay network and is designed to extend formal credit access to the bank’s vast customer base. It offers benefits such as zero joining and annual fees, cashback on transactions, and seamless digital onboarding with UPI integration. This initiative also represents Kiwi’s first partnership with a public sector bank, highlighting a growing trend of collaboration between traditional banks and fintech firms to expand digital financial services in India.