Current Affairs - Finance

IIFL Finance, a prominent non-banking financial company (NBFC) in India, launched ‘Shakti’ all-women branches in celebration of Women’s Day. Seven of its existing branches were transformed into exclusively women-staffed branches located in the Delhi NCR and Mumbai Metropolitan Regions. This initiative promotes gender diversity and inclusion in the financial sector, empowers women entrepreneurs, and focuses on offering financial literacy and skill development programs to help women scale their businesses. IIFL Finance’s goal is to support women in underserved communities and strengthen financial inclusion across India.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) released the ‘Handbook on Indian Insurance Statistics 2023-24’ in March 2025. This report provides valuable insights into the Claim Settlement Ratio (CSR) of various insurers, which helps consumers and stakeholders assess the efficiency and reliability of insurance companies in India. The report is vital in understanding the performance of private and public insurers in settling claims, offering a detailed breakdown of CSR metrics across different life insurance companies.

The current share of central tax revenues allocated to states is 41%. However, the Union government is considering reducing this share to at least 40% from the fiscal year 2026-27, aiming to address rising expenditure needs at the Centre. This proposal will be presented to the Finance Commission of India, and if approved, it could increase the Centre's revenue by approximately ₹350 billion. This move is part of the Centre's broader fiscal strategy amidst growing spending demands.

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Capital Limited (TCL) to strengthen financial support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The MoU aims to provide various funding options, such as machinery/equipment financing, working capital loans, and loans against property. It also explores co-lending and risk-sharing models to enhance MSME access to credit, which is crucial for their growth and development. This partnership is expected to significantly benefit the MSME sector by offering better financial opportunities.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) decided not to approve a $40 million loan for waste-to-energy projects in Gujarat, India. The IFC is the private lending arm of the World Bank, established in 1956, and focuses on supporting economic development, particularly through financing and advisory services in developing nations. This particular loan was aimed at waste-to-energy projects in Gujarat but was not pursued.