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Imagine this. You have a younger sibling you’re mighty envious of. And why not? Unlike you, they seem to enjoy all the freedom and money in the world. They party like there’s no tomorrow, and here you are, stuck in a boring, ultra-disciplined but responsible routine that feels completely devoid of any independence, and mostly, funds. But of late, things are changing. This sibling is in massive trouble and just cannot escape the parent’s wrath anymore. Long story short, the party is over, and it is time to go back home. The rising defaults on this sibling’s part have now begun pulling the entire house down, thereby attracting the regulator’s ire. <h2>The Wild West of microfinance and unsecured loans</h2>It's hard to ignore the issues with microfinance and unsecured loans in India. Many saw them as a small gamble and ignored the rising defaults much like the younger siblings’ tantrums, and now they find themselves in hot waters. The skyrocketing instances of non-payments aren't a micro-issue anymore and are threatening the stability of the entire banking system. In the quarter ended September 30, 2024, 5 of India’s 8 largest private sector <keyword id="19934118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="banks" source="keywords">banks</keyword> reported a steep rise in their bad loan book, mostly thanks to microfinance loans. Some banks, in a bid to strengthen their fortress against these <keyword id="142154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bad-loans" source="Orion">bad loans</keyword>, have significantly upped their provisions. For instance, <keyword id="46717" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IndusInd-bank" source="Orion">IndusInd Bank</keyword> set aside Rs 525 crore during July and September 2024 to battle the menace of defaults on microfinance loans, which make up about 9% of its total loan book. See, banks rely heavily on their interest income, which they earn from advancing loans. Any loan where the borrower has not paid interest to the bank or defaulted for 90 days or more becomes bad, i.e., an <keyword id="79363" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="npa" source="Orion">NPA</keyword>, or non-performing asset for the bank. And who likes things going bad? Simply put, there has been a steep rise in three areas, much to the dislike of banks and MFIs (micro-finance institutions). But hey, it's mostly their doing! <ol><li>GNPA ratio (gross net performing assets): The quantum of non-performing assets a bank has in proportion to its total assets.</li><li>Provision: The amount banks set aside to take care of such NPAs.</li><li>Slippage ratio: The rate at which good girls go bad, or the speed at which good loans turn into NPAs</li></ol>But how are these plaguing the Indian banking sector? And what does the road ahead look like? We decode it for you. <h2> Microfinance: A not-so-micro-menace</h2>Microfinance loans were initially brought forth for low-income households and individuals, i.e. for those who might not generally have access to traditional ways of credit, like bank loans and more. They don’t require collateral or an asset to be pledged in lieu of the loan, making it a tad bit easier for borrowers. As of June 2024, the amount of outstanding loans in the microfinance industry stood at a staggering Rs 4,20,256 crore. Of this, NBFC-MFIs accounted for 40% and banks made for 33% of these. In 2022, <keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="Orion">RBI</keyword>, in a bid to inspire some competition in this space, did something radical-they did away with the ceiling on how much interest MFIs could charge their customers. Previously, MFIs could add up to 12% to their cost of acquiring funds to determine the final interest rate chargeable to the consumer. So, assuming that Bank A incurs a 5% cost to acquire funds for further loaning, A could charge up to 17% interest from the end consumer. So, interest rates were in the hands of MFIs, and boy, did they have a gala time with it. Instead of spurring some healthy competition, as RBI expected, MFIs and banks went rogue and all guns blazing, competing for the title of “Who will charge the highest interest?” Recently, RBI banned 4 microfinance institutions (MFIs), namely Asirvad Micro Finance Limited, Arohan Financial Services Limited, DMI Finance Private Limited, and Navi Finserv, from disbursing loans effective October 21, 2024. Why? Because they were charging 14% extra interest over their original cost of funds. To maintain their loan books (and pockets), banks and NBFCs resorted to shady practices like netting off loans, which RBI has now advised MFIs against. Here, lenders allow borrowers to settle a previous outstanding loan by issuing them a new loan! As crazy as it sounds, it helped banks to report less of their total assets as NPAs, since the new credit would cover pending installments of the borrower’s previous loan. Then there was the issue of borrowers overleveraging, i.e. taking multiple loans using different IDs from various lenders and then failing to honor any of them. The consequence? Banks and NBFCs end up with massive NPAs. Data from credit bureaus suggests that over the last quarter, there was a 17.2% rise in the number of borrowers who had 5 or more active loans at the same time. <h2>Growth &gt; Caution</h2>It's an age-old tale unfolding yet again in India’s banking sector- Icarus flew too close to the sun and eventually, fell to its death. Between April and June 2024, NBFCs microfinance portfolio jumped by 2.7%. If you see this in terms of loan sources, microfinance loans issued by banks grew by 11.2% in Q1FY25. But the same portfolio in NBFCs swelled by almost double-23.9%. While most of these loans had an average ticket size between Rs 30,000-50,000, there was a sharp spike in the number of loans that had a ticket size of Rs 80,000 or more. Data suggests that as of March 2024, more than 12% of all microfinance borrowers had over 4 or more active loans. In dating parlance, this is a classic case of borrowers going polyamorous, minus the honesty and transparency. Not the best of situations, you'd agree! <h2>Will banks and NBFCs stand up to this stress?</h2>If their results for Q2FY25 are to be believed, NBFCs are not handling the pressure all that well. Or even slightly well. Only a few banks like Bank of Baroda (BoB), ICICI, and Indian Bank were up for the battle, even witnessing a decline in their loan delinquencies. Some others, like IndusInd Bank, saw their stock dip by a massive 16.2% over the last 5 days. Its slippages in the previous quarter burgeoned from Rs 15.3 billion in Q1FY25 to Rs 17.9 billion in Q2. As a result, the bank pushed a staggeringly high amount of money to create an NPA cushion for itself. While its management has highlighted its preference for secured lending, that was hardly reflected in its actions during the quarter, where growth in unsecured personal loans remained exceptionally high at over 7% on a QoQ basis. Turns out, only 44% of customers in IndusInd Banks’ microfinance loan portfolio were exclusive to it. The rest 47% were, you guessed it right-polyamorous! 27% had borrowed from another lender as well, apart from IndusInd Bank, while 20% were those who had outstanding loans with two other lenders, apart from IndusInd Bank. IndusInd Bank’s credit card segment did not miss the NPA bus and accounted for 7-8% of its GNPAs. Canara Bank’s total slippages during the previous quarter jumped to Rs 11.1 billion, up by 24.7% QoQ, and making up for 3.6% of its total loans. As for Bandhan Bank, its <keyword id="763994" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gross-NPA" source="Orion">gross NPA</keyword> for Q2FY25 inched up on a QoQ basis, up from 4.23% in Q1, to 4.68% in the second quarter. <keyword id="62152" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IDFC-bank" source="Orion">IDFC Bank</keyword>’s heavy provisioning for its NPAs marred its profits significantly, causing its PAT (profit after tax) to dip by 73% on a YoY basis. Data from ICRA Analytics suggest that the AUM (asset under management) growth in microfinance loans and unsecured (personal and business) loans by the NBFCs will moderate to 10-12% and 19-21%, respectively, in FY2025 compared to 30% and 38%, in FY2024. Says A M Karthik, Senior Vice President &amp; Co-Group Head, Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA, “As bank funds constitute a larger share in the overall funding of NBFCs, a slower credit flow from banks to the NBFCs will compress their AUM growth. The NBFCs in unsecured and digital lending businesses shall face a higher squeeze in funding compared to others, and the unsecured lending space will continue to be a source of stress in the near term.” There has been uninhibited growth in unsecured loans, apart from just the microfinance segment. For instance, Axis Bank’s gross slippages jumped by Rs 4,443 crore, largely thanks to its unsecured business. The same is the case with Yes Bank, which saw 35–40% of its retail slippages emerging from the unsecured loan portfolio. Kotak Mahindra Bank was also quick to follow Yes Bank’s suit, with around 35%-40% of its slippages coming from credit cards. <h2>How is the road ahead?</h2>While RBI has just cracked its whip and served a warning at the moment, experts at Morgan Stanley believe that more changes (read regulatory lashes) are underway. Moreover, with both festive and wedding seasons underway in our country, unsecured lending might pick up momentum, much to the disdain of the calibrated approach banks have been taking towards it so far. But if the situation doesn't improve, RBI will not waste any time in becoming the typical tyrannical Bollywood headmaster who runs his dominion with an iron fist and takes things (and ceiling rates) into their own hands. However, that's a story for another day.

Is the lending party over? The dangerous tango of Indian banks with microfinance and unsecured loans

Top 8 banks offering low interest rates on home loans; check full list here

Reserve Bank of India has given its nod for the reverse <keyword id="42411" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="merger" source="Orion">merger</keyword> of <keyword id="6361420" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="idfc" source="Orion">IDFC</keyword> Ltd with its banking subsidiary <keyword id="7145428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="idfc-first" source="Orion">IDFC First</keyword> Bank. The boards of IDFC First Bank and IDFC have approved the reverse merger in July. "....IDFC Limited and IDFC Financial Holding Company (IDFC FHCL) have received letters dated December 26, 2023 from <keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rbi" source="Orion">RBI</keyword> whereby RBI has conveyed its 'No Objection' to the composite scheme of amalgamation, subject to compliance with the terms specified therein," IDFC Ltd said in a regulatory filing. As part of the composite scheme of amalgamation, IDFC FHCL would first merge with IDFC and then IDFC into IDFC First Bank Ltd. The scheme remains subject to other statutory and regulatory approvals, including from the National Company Law Tribunal and the respective shareholders and creditors of the companies involved under the applicable laws, it said. Under the proposed reverse merger scheme, an IDFC <keyword id="6388677" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shareholder" source="Orion">shareholder</keyword> will get 155 shares for every 100 shares she/he holds in the bank. Both stocks have a face value of Rs 10 each. Post the merger, the standalone book value per share of the bank will increase by 4.9 per cent, as calculated on the audited financials as of March 2023, it said, adding that as of June 2023, IDFC through its non-financial holding company, owned 39.93 per cent in IDFC First Bank. IDFC was an infra lender in the private sector space, and following its bigger peers like ICICI and IDBI, it also launched a banking subsidiary in 2015 -- IDFC Bank -- but could not make a mark as the other two could do. Like HDFC Bank, the merged IDFC First Bank will also have no promoter entity, but fully owned by institutional and public shareholders. IDFC began as an infra lender in 1997. It got in-principle approval from the RBI to set up a bank in April 2014, and in October 2015, it launched IDFC Bank when on-tap licensing began, following which loans and liabilities of IDFC were transferred to the bank. In December 2018, it took over Capital First, a consumer and MSME-focused non-bank since 2012, and was renamed as IDFC First Bank and became a full-service universal bank.

RBI approves IDFC-IDFC First Bank merger

<div type="image" title="The RBI has cracked the regulatory whip on NBFCs and banks, who&amp;#39;ve been pushing microfinance and unsecured loans aggressively to grow their loan books." agency="ANI" msid="114778648" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The RBI has cracked the regulatory whip on NBFCs and banks, who&amp;#39;ve been pushing microfinance and unsecured loans aggressively to grow their loan books.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Imagine this. You have a younger sibling you’re mighty envious of. And why not? Unlike you, they seem to enjoy all the freedom and money in the world. They party like there’s no tomorrow, and here you are, stuck in a boring, ultra-disciplined but responsible routine that feels completely devoid of any independence, and mostly, funds. But of late, things are changing. This sibling is in massive trouble and just cannot escape the parent’s wrath anymore. Long story short, the party is over, and it is time to go back home. The rising defaults on this sibling’s part have now begun pulling the entire house down, thereby attracting the regulator’s ire. <h2>The Wild West of <keyword id="113684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microfinance" source="Orion">microfinance</keyword> and unsecured loans</h2>It's hard to ignore the issues with microfinance and unsecured loans in India. Many saw them as a small gamble and ignored the rising defaults much like the younger siblings’ tantrums, and now they find themselves in hot waters. The skyrocketing instances of non-payments aren't a micro-issue anymore and are threatening the stability of the entire banking system. In the quarter ended September 30, 2024, 5 of India’s 8 largest private sector <keyword id="19934118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="banks" source="keywords">banks</keyword> reported a steep rise in their bad loan book, mostly thanks to microfinance loans. Some banks, in a bid to strengthen their fortress against these <keyword id="142154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bad-loans" source="Orion">bad loans</keyword>, have significantly upped their provisions. For instance, IndusInd Bank set aside Rs 525 crore during July and September 2024 to battle the menace of defaults on microfinance loans, which make up about 9% of its total loan book. See, banks rely heavily on their interest income, which they earn from advancing loans. Any loan where the borrower has not paid interest to the bank or defaulted for 90 days or more becomes bad, i.e. an NPA, or non-performing asset for the bank. And who likes things going bad? Simply put, there has been a steep rise in three areas, much to the dislike of banks and MFIs (micro-finance institutions). But hey, it's mostly their doing! <ol><li>GNPA ratio (gross net performing assets): The quantum of non-performing assets a bank has in proportion to its total assets.</li><li>Provision: The amount banks set aside to take care of such NPAs.</li><li>Slippage ratio: The rate at which good girls go bad, or the speed at which good loans turn into NPAs</li></ol>But how are these plaguing the Indian banking sector? And what does the road ahead look like? We decode it for you. <h2> Microfinance: A not-so-micro-menace</h2>Microfinance loans were initially brought forth for low-income households and individuals i.e. for those who might not generally have access to traditional ways of credit, like bank loans and more. They don’t require collateral or an asset to be pledged in lieu of the loan, making it a tad bit easier for borrowers. As of June 2024, the amount of outstanding loans in the microfinance industry stood at a staggering Rs 4,20,256 crore. Of this, NBFC-MFIs accounted for 40% and banks made for 33% of these. In 2022, RBI, in a bid to inspire some competition in this space, did something radical-they did away with the ceiling on how much interest MFIs could charge their customers. Previously, MFIs could add up to 12% to their cost of acquiring funds to determine the final interest rate chargeable to the consumer. So, assuming that Bank A incurs a 5% cost to acquire funds for further loaning, A could charge up to 17% interest from the end consumer. So, interest rates were in the hands of MFIs, and boy, did they have a gala time with it. Instead of spurring some healthy competition, as RBI expected, MFIs and banks went rogue and all guns blazing, competing for the title of “Who will charge the highest interest?” Recently, RBI banned 4 microfinance institutions (MFIs), namely Asirvad Micro Finance Limited, Arohan Financial Services Limited, DMI Finance Private Limited, and <keyword id="20117932" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="navi-finserv" source="keywords">Navi Finserv</keyword> from disbursing loans effective October 21, 2024. Why? Because they were charging 14% extra interest over their original cost of funds. To maintain their loan books (and pockets), banks and NBFCs resorted to shady practices like netting off loans, which RBI has now advised MFIs against. Here, lenders allow borrowers to settle a previous outstanding loan by issuing them a new loan! As crazy as it sounds, it helped banks to report less of their total assets as NPAs, since the new credit would cover pending instalments of the borrower’s previous loan. Then there was the issue of borrowers overleveraging, i.e. taking multiple loans using different IDs from various lenders and then failing to honour any of them. The consequence? Banks and NBFCs end up with massive NPAs. Data from credit bureaus suggests that over the last quarter, there was a 17.2% rise in the number of borrowers who had 5 or more active loans at the same time. <h2>Growth &gt; Caution</h2>It's an age-old tale unfolding yet again in India’s banking sector- Icarus flew too close to the sun and eventually, fell to its death. Between April and June 2024, NBFCs microfinance portfolio jumped by 2.7%. If you see this in terms of loan sources, microfinance loans issued by banks grew by 11.2% in Q1FY25. But the same portfolio in NBFCs swelled by almost double-23.9%. While most of these loans had an average ticket size between Rs 30,000-50,000, there was a sharp spike in the number of loans that had a ticket size of Rs 80,000 or more. Data suggests that as of March 2024, more than 12% of all microfinance borrowers had over 4 or more active loans. In dating parlance, this is a classic case of borrowers going polyamorous, minus the honesty and transparency. Not the best of situations, you'd agree! <h2>Will banks and NBFCs stand up to this stress?</h2>If their results for Q2FY25 are to be believed, NBFCs are not handling the pressure all that well. Or even slightly well. Only a few banks like Bank of Baroda (BoB), ICICI, and Indian Bank were up for the battle, even witnessing a decline in their loan delinquencies. Some others, like IndusInd Bank, saw their stock dip by a massive 16.2% over the last 5 days. Its slippages in the previous quarter burgeoned from Rs 15.3 billion in Q1FY25 to Rs 17.9 billion in Q2. As a result, the bank pushed a staggeringly high amount of money to create an NPA cushion for itself. While its management has highlighted its preference for secured lending, that was hardly reflected in its actions during the quarter, where growth in unsecured personal loans remained exceptionally high at over 7% on a QoQ basis. Turns out, only 44% of customers in IndusInd Banks’ microfinance loan portfolio were exclusive to it. The rest 47% were, you guessed it right-polyamorous! 27% had borrowed from another lender as well, apart from IndusInd Bank, while 20% were those who had outstanding loans with two other lenders, apart from IndusInd Bank. IndusInd Bank’s credit card segment did not miss the NPA bus and accounted for 7-8% of its GNPAs. Canara Bank’s total slippages during the previous quarter jumped to Rs 11.1 billion, up by 24.7% QoQ, and making up for 3.6% of its total loans. As for Bandhan Bank, its gross NPA for Q2FY25 inched up on a QoQ basis, up from 4.23% in Q1, to 4.68% in the second quarter. IDFC Bank’s heavy provisioning for its NPAs marred its profits significantly, causing its PAT (profit after tax) to dip by 73% on a YoY basis. Data from ICRA Analytics suggest that the AUM (asset under management) growth in microfinance loans and unsecured (personal and business) loans by the NBFCs will moderate to 10-12% and 19-21%, respectively, in FY2025 compared to 30% and 38%, in FY2024. Says A M Karthik, Senior Vice President &amp; Co-Group Head, Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA, “As bank funds constitute a larger share in the overall funding of NBFCs, a slower credit flow from banks to the NBFCs will compress their AUM growth. The NBFCs in unsecured and digital lending businesses shall face a higher squeeze in funding compared to others, and the unsecured lending space will continue to be a source of stress in the near term.” There has been uninhibited growth in <keyword id="6051027" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unsecured-loan" source="Orion">unsecured loan</keyword>s, apart from just the microfinance segment. For instance, Axis Bank’s gross slippages jumped by Rs 4,443 crore, largely thanks to its unsecured business. The same is the case with Yes Bank, which saw 35–40% of its retail slippages emerging from the unsecured loan portfolio. <keyword id="6376194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kotak-mahindra" source="Orion">Kotak Mahindra</keyword> Bank was also quick to follow Yes Bank’s suit, with around 35%-40% of its slippages coming from credit cards. <h2>How is the road ahead?</h2>While RBI has just cracked its whip and served a warning at the moment, experts at Morgan Stanley believe that more changes (read regulatory lashes) are underway. Moreover, with both festive and wedding seasons underway in our country, unsecured lending might pick up momentum, much to the disdain of the calibrated approach banks have been taking towards it so far. But if the situation doesn't improve, RBI will not waste any time in becoming the typical tyrannical <keyword id="19897820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bollywood" source="keywords">Bollywood</keyword> headmaster who runs his dominion with an iron fist. However, that's a story for another day. Do you have a topic in mind you'd want a simpler explanation for, or insights or personal experience to share on personal finance and more? Contact us at businessinsider@timesinternet.in.

Simply Put: Is the lending party over? The dangerous tango of Indian banks with microfinance and unsecured loans

FPI boost: Adani Power, IDFC First Bank, Paytm see the highest increase in Sept holdings

<ul><li><keyword id="6361420" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="idfc" source="Orion">IDFC</keyword> First Bank announced merger of its parent IDFC Ltd with itself in an all-stock transaction. </li><li>The boards of IDFC First Bank and IDFC have approved the reverse merger.</li><li>This is the second major deal in banking space days after the amalgamation of the HDFC twins.</li></ul>Mumbai, IDFC First Bank on Monday announced merger of its parent IDFC Ltd with itself in an all-stock transaction, marking another major deal in the Indian banking space days after the amalgamation of the HDFC twins. The boards of IDFC First Bank and IDFC have approved the reverse merger. While the bank did not provide the likely valuation of the merged entity, based on Monday's closing prices of the two companies on BSE, the valuation is Rs 71,767 crore. Under the proposed reverse merger scheme, an IDFC shareholder will get 155 shares for every 100 shares she/he holds in the bank. Both stocks have a face value of Rs 10 each, IDFC First Bank said in a statement. The share exchange ratio will result in a premium of about 20 per cent on the closing market price of the shares of IDFC vis-a-vis IDFC First Bank as of June 30, 2023. IDFC Chairman <keyword id="137177" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anil-singhvi" source="Orion">Anil Singhvi</keyword> said the merger is the last phase of IDFC's corporate restructuring and will help create a financial services provider that offers seamless delivery of services to customers. It will augment operational efficiency for the merged entity and create synergies for our shareholders. Post the merger, the standalone book value per share of the bank will increase by 4.9 per cent, as calculated on the audited financials as of March 2023, it said, adding as of June 2023, IDFC through its non-financial holding company, owned 39.93 per cent in IDFC First Bank. IDFC First Bank's market capitalisation stood at Rs 54,311.48 crore at close today, after the stock rallied 3.2 per cent to Rs 81.94 on the BSE, while IDFC mcap stood at Rs 17,456 crore after its counter rallied 6.3 per cent to Rs 109.10, taking the combined value to Rs 71,767 crore. IDFC was an infra lender in the private sector space, and following its bigger peers like ICICI and IDBI, it also launched a banking subsidiary in 2015 -- IDFC Bank -- but could not make a mark as the other two could do. Effective July 1, India Inc's biggest merger came into effect when the mortgage major HDFC merged itself with its banking arm in an all-stock deal valued at USD 40 billion. Post-merger, announced on April 4, 2022, HDFC Bank is the world's fourth most valued bank with USD 200 billion in valuation after JP Morgan Chase, ICBC of China and Bank of America. The new giant, fully owned by public shareholders with no promoter entity, has a balance sheet of close to Rs 33 lakh crore, with the assets alone sniffing at Rs 23 lakh crore and also the largest mortgage book with close to Rs 7 lakh crore of loans. The merger will lead to simplification of the corporate structure of both entities by consolidating them and other subsidiaries into a single entity, helping streamline regulatory compliances, the companies said in separate but identical statements. Like HDFC Bank, the merged IDFC First Bank will also have no promoter entity, but fully owned by institutional and public shareholders. The merger scheme is subject to all requisite approvals from the Reserve Bank, Sebi, Competition Commission, National Company Law Tribunal and stock exchanges, and shareholders of both entities. IDFC began as an infra lender in 1997. It got in-principle approval from the RBI to set up a bank in April 2014, and in October 2015, it launched IDFC Bank when on-tap licensing began, following which loans and liabilities of IDFC were transferred to the bank. In December 2018, it took over Capital First, a consumer and MSME-focused non-bank since 2012, and was renamed as IDFC First Bank and became a full-service universal bank. Since the merger, the bank built a deposit franchise that has grown 36 per cent annually since then, and has reached Rs 1,36,812 crore as of March 2023. The bank has also increased its low-cost CASA ratio from 8.6 at the merger with Capital First to 49.77 per cent as of March 2023. The bank has 809 branches and runs 925 ATMs. Its loan book stood at Rs 1,60,599 crore with a balance sheet of Rs 2,39,942 crore as of March 2023. The bank closed FY23 with a net income of Rs 2,437 crore, and its capital adequacy ratio stood at 16.82 per cent. Its gross NPAs stood at 1.65 per cent and net NPA at 0.55 per cent. Overall gross NPAs, including legacy infrastructure financing book, is 2.51 per cent, and net NPA is 0.86 per cent. "We now embark on the next phase of our growth journey towards our long-term vision, and the merger will create sustainable shareholder value in the years to come," said Sanjeeb Chaudhuri, the chairman of IDFC First Bank. In a separate statement, IDFC also said its board approved the reverse merger with the bank, and said the composite scheme of amalgamation includes the merger of IDFC and IDFC Financial Holding Company with IDFC First Bank. IDFC First Bank MD V Vaidyanathan said: "We have built a strong deposit franchise, digital innovation, customer-friendly products, strong capital buffer, growing profitability and high corporate governance".

IDFC to merge with its banking arm in all-stock deal

<ul><li><keyword id="19899647" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="iPhone-16" source="keywords">iPhone 16</keyword> can be delivered to your doorstep in under 10 minutes</li><li>The phone is available on Blinkit, <keyword id="19939136" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BigBasket" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BigBasket" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BigBasket">BigBasket</keyword> and <keyword id="19939134" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zepto" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Zepto" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Zepto">Zepto</keyword></li><li>The iPhone 16 was made available for sale in India today</li></ul> Earlier this morning, <keyword id="19894961" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apple" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Apple" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Apple">Apple</keyword> stores in Mumbai and Delhi witnessed huge lines of iPhone buyers, ready to get their hands on the next-gen models. Apple’s iPhone 16 series went for sale in India today and the excitement around the new phones is palpable. However, what if we tell you that you can order an iPhone within the comfort of your home? Blinkit is selling the iPhone 16 promising to deliver it to your doorstep in a few minutes. The phone is also being sold at BigBasket. However, it is to be noted that Blinkit and Big Basket are not selling the pro variants of the iPhone 16. If you are looking for the higher-end variants, you will have to either buy from a store or order it online. In India, the iPhone 16 is priced at ₹79,900, while the iPhone 16 Plus is available for ₹89,900. The <keyword id="20656465" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iPhone-16-Pro" source="keywords">iPhone 16 Pro</keyword> starts at ₹1,19,900, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is priced at ₹1,44,900. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113214171" title="iPhone 16 Pro with A18 Pro chip launched: Should you upgrade if you own an iPhone 15 Pro?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Let us take a look at where you can buy all variants of the iPhone 16 and what are the bank offers available. <h2>iPhone 16 available in under 10 minutes</h2>Blinkit is currently selling the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models, though only the 128GB variant is available for purchase. The higher storage options are currently unavailable on Blinkit, and BigBasket. It's still unclear if the Pro models will be added to their listings in the coming week. In addition to Blinkit and Big Basket, the iPhone 16 is also available at Zepto. Blinkit and BigBasket, meanwhile, promise to deliver the phone in under 10 minutes. On the other hand, Zepto is promising to deliver the device in about 30 minutes. <h2>Customer orders iPhone 16 via BigBasket</h2> In a press release, BigBasket shared that a customer from Koramangala, Bengaluru had ordered an iPhone 16 at 8:00 AM and received the product in just seven minutes, at 8:07 am. The customer, upon receiving the product, said as per the press release, “I’ve always trusted bigbasket for my daily needs and groceries. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they are also delivering the new iPhone 16. What topped the excitement was getting the iPhone 16 within minutes of ordering! It’s a game-changer in quick delivery.” <h2>Bank offers on the iPhone 16</h2>Shoppers can enjoy savings of up to ₹5000 when purchasing an iPhone 16 using eligible credit cards from Kotak Mahindra, SBI, and ICICI Bank credit cards on Amazon. To make the purchase even more convenient, no-cost EMI options are available for 3 to 6 months through most major banks. Meanwhile, Vijay Sales is offering various deals to select card holders of ICICI bank, SBI, HDFC bank, Kotak Mahindra bank, YES Bank, IDFC FIRST Bank and Federal Bank. EMI options are also available on the website. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113448967" title="You can get free Apple Airpods 4 and Apple Pencil with this limited-time deal in India, details here" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> In addition to this, Apple is also offering its popular Trade-In program, which allows buyers to exchange their old devices for a discount. Depending on the condition and model of the device being traded in, customers can receive anywhere from ₹4000 to ₹67,500 off their new iPhone. In addition to these savings, those purchasing an iPhone 16 will receive a complimentary three-month subscription to Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade, adding even more value to their purchase. <h2>About the iPhone 16 lineup </h2> Apple has introduced some new features in the new iPhone 16 series, aiming to make both the standard and Pro models more advanced and user-friendly. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus now boast a new Camera Control button, giving users quicker access to key functions. Both phones are powered by the upgraded Apple A18 chip and come with an improved dual-camera system that includes a new spatial capture feature for enhanced photography. Running on iOS 18 right out of the box, these models are set to receive further smart updates with upcoming software enhancements. The vanilla iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Plus offers a larger 6.7-inch screen. Both displays are protected by Ceramic Shield technology and reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, though they continue to use 60Hz OLED panels. On the camera front, these models come with a 48MP main sensor capable of 2x zoom and a 12MP ultrawide camera that can now take macro shots. For selfies, a 12MP TrueDepth camera is included on both models. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max take things a step further, with bigger screens and narrower bezels. The Pro comes with a 6.3-inch display, while the Pro Max offers a 6.9-inch one. Both feature Retina XDR OLED screens with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and up to 2,000 nits of brightness. Both phones are powered by the advanced A18 Pro chip and run on iOS 18. For photography enthusiasts, the Pro models pack a triple-lens setup, including a 48MP main camera, a new 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 12MP periscope camera offering 5x optical zoom. The front-facing camera remains a 12MP TrueDepth unit, and both Pro models now support 4K video recording at 120fps. Like the standard versions, they also come equipped with the new Camera Control button, making it easier than ever to snap photos and capture moments.

You can get the iPhone 16 in under 10 minutes while sitting at home, here is how

Are you an avid credit card user? Are you up to speed with all the changes that have come into effect starting today, which is all set to impact your credit card usage, and your pocket. Here's a quick snapshot of all the changes that you should be well aware of: <h2><keyword id="19900482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ICICI Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="ICICI Bank">ICICI Bank</keyword> </h2>Starting today, ICICI bank has done away with fees for many services, which include request for a charge slip, which was earlier chargeable at Rs 100/slip and cash and cheque pick up, which also carried a fee of Rs 100 earlier. Earlier, for outstation cheque processing and duplicate bank statement (for three months), a fee of Rs 100 was payable. Now, all those charges have been waived. However, going ahead, you'll have to dish out Rs 200 instead of Rs 100, if you wish to get your credit card replaced. <h2><keyword id="19952948" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Axis-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Axis Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Axis Bank">Axis Bank</keyword></h2>If you hold a <keyword id="19941660" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Citibank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Citibank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Citibank">Citibank</keyword> credit card, this is for you. The migration of all Citibank <keyword id="19953671" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="credit-cards" source="keywords">credit cards</keyword> to Axis bank will be complete by 15th July, 2024. Post that, you will receive new credit cards from Axis bank .However, until then, your existing Citibank cards will continue to work just fine. All your unredeemed points will be converted into EDGE miles. After migration, they will have an expiration period of 3 years. Starting today, RBIs new rules mandate that all credit card transactions in the country be processed through <keyword id="20779381" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Bill-Payment-System" source="keywords">Bharat Bill Payment System</keyword> (BBPS). This means that if your bank has not come on board with BBPS, you will not be able to make payment through their credit card on other third-party platforms. Out of 34 banks that can issue credit cards, 12 banks have come onboard the BBPS. These include SBI, <keyword id="19938728" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kotak-mahindra" source="keywords">Kotak Mahindra</keyword>, IndusInd, Federal, HDFC, ICICI and IDFC bank. Indian Overseas bank and <keyword id="45660" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yes-bank" source="Orion">YES Bank</keyword> are expected to go live soon. <h2>SBI Bank</h2>Starting July 15th, if you hold one of the 22 specified SBI credit cards, you will no longer accrue any reward points while making certain transactions, particularly if they are related to government services. These include Air India SBI Platinum Card, Air India SBI Signature Card, Central SBI Select+ Card, Chennai Metro SBI Card, Etihad Guest SBI Card, Fabindia SBI Card SELECT, IRCTC SBI Card, Mumbai Metro SBI Card and more. <h2>YES Bank </h2>If you hold a YES Bank credit card, the criteria for you to qualify for complimentary lounge access has changed. Starting today, you will have to spend at least Rs 35,000 from your credit card in the previous quarter, in order to be able to get a complimentary access to domestic airport lounges in the next quarter. Earlier, this threshold was set at Rs 10,000. This will impact YES Marquee, YES SELECT, YES Reserv, YES First Preferred, YES Bank ELITE, YES BYOC, and YES Wellness Plus cards. <h2>HDFC Bank</h2>Starting August 1st, if you make rent, or education related payments via platforms like Cred and Paytm, you will have to pay a fee of upto 1% of the transaction, which will be a maximum of Rs 3,000. However, if you make the payment directly through your school or college's website, you will be able to save on this charge. Similarly, on all fuel expenses of over Rs 15,000, a 1% fee will be applied, which can be a maximum of Rs 3,000.

What has changed for your credit cards, starting today?

<keyword id="722345" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="nifty-bank" source="Orion">Nifty Bank</keyword>, which is comprised of the most liquid and large capitalised Indian banking stocks, is up 11.76 per cent so far this year due to robust earnings growth of banks, return of foreign investors in Indian equities since July and attractive valuations. Currently, the <keyword id="6354813" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="nifty" source="Orion">Nifty</keyword> Bank index is trading at 39,656.15, as compared to 35,481.70 on December 31, 2021. According to the data compiled by <keyword id="824141" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="geojit-financial-services" source="Orion">Geojit Financial Services</keyword> showed, the top three banks that have outperformed the index were Bank of Baroda with YTD returns of 47.90 per cent, Federal Bank with 21.20 per cent, and IndusInd Bank with 21.10 per cent. On Thursday, <keyword id="46013" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kotak-mahindra-bank" source="Orion">Kotak Mahindra Bank</keyword>, Bandhan Bank, Federal Bank, <keyword id="6354731" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="state-bank-of-india" source="Orion">State Bank of India</keyword>, IndusInd Bank, HDFC Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, PNB, <keyword id="6986952" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="idfc-first-bank" source="Orion">IDFC First Bank</keyword>, and Bank of Baroda were stocks in the Nifty Bank index. "The banking sector has demonstrated strong resilience so far this year, supported by multiple factors. 1. Strong quarterly earnings driven by robust credit growth, margin expansion, improved asset quality and lower provisioning; 2. FIIs return to buying mode due to favourable economic factors; 3. Attractive valuation. We believe that the rally is still in its early stages and that valuations have room to rise further, given improved fundamentals," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services. According to the ICICI Securities report, banks under their coverage in Q1 FY23 reported 16 per cent on-year and 2 per cent on-quarter growth in net interest income. Core operating profit grew 17 per cent on-year, while <keyword id="6374832" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="treasury" source="Orion">treasury</keyword> loss dragged operating profit lower by 13 per cent on-year and 18 per cent on-quarter. Subsiding credit cost and lower base supported 35 per cent on-year earnings growth. However, earnings of State Bank of India, HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank lagged I-Sec expectations due to higher than anticipated treasury loss and elevated opex. G-sec yields surged 65 basis points since March to 7.5 per cent till June and corporate bond yields by 70 basis points. This created pressure on treasury profits for banks that dragged overall earnings growth. Having 25-60 per cent of investment portfolio in AFS/HTM with 1-2 years of modified duration led to a treasury knock. Banks with relatively higher investment in corporate bonds (credit substitute) witnessed above-expected hit. On an average, banks registered treasury loss equivalent to high single digit of revenues and 15 per cent of core operating profit. Banks' upbeat stance on growth was reflected in advance growth of 2-4 per cent on-quarter in Q1 FY23, otherwise a seasonally slow quarter. Growth was primarily led by retail and proportion of unsecured retail advances inched up. Sequential loan growth momentum was dragged by 2-wheeler segment and agri (in few banks). While, inflows of foreign investors in the Indian equities was Rs 21,252.60 so far from July 28. Foreign investors turned buyers since late July after remaining sellers in the equities for almost 9 months. Experts believe that foreign investors have returned to Indian market because India is preferred destination as country has best growth prospects among large economies of the world. FPIs have turned net buyers in autos, capital goods, FMCG, and Telecom. Due to this, the Sensex is now trading above 60,000 mark and Nifty over 17,900. Going forward, profitability of banks is expected to improve with a robust credit growth outlook and improving asset quality. Additionally, in the rising interest rate scenario, banks with a higher proportion of flexible loans will showcase margin expansion. "We expect that the mark-to-market impact of rising bond yields on treasury income will hurt banks, particularly PSUs in the short term, who have higher investments in bonds. We continue to recommend top private sector banks that are better poised to reap the benefits of economic recovery with stronger balance sheets and neat loan books. The sector is currently trading at its 5-year averages, which indicates significant room for expansion. However, the near-term trend will be dictated by the movements in FII activities," Nair added. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/zomatos-quick-commerce-app-blinkit-to-deliver-printouts-at-your-doorsteps-in-11-minutes/articleshow/93651814.cms">Zomato’s quick commerce app Blinkit to deliver printouts at your doorsteps in 11 Minutes</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/rupee-expected-to-trade-at-around-79/-on-fii-inflows-easing-crude-prices-bob/articleshow/93651698.cms">Rupee expected to trade at around 79/$ on FII inflows, easing crude prices: BoB</a>

Nifty Bank index up over 11% so far this year, BoB outperforms index

<ul><li><keyword id="6986952" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IDFC-First-Bank">IDFC First Bank</keyword> has temporarily halted services to crypto companies as it explores ‘enhanced due diligence.’</li><li>IDFC First Bank isn't the only one, as ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, and Paytm Payments Bank have taken similar decisions since May.</li><li>Cryptocurrencies were banned by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2018, but India’s top court overturned the decision in 2020.</li><li>For banks, cryptocurrencies are a concern since they're often a preferred instrument for money laundering, illegal purchases, and transactions relating to contraband.</li></ul>A host of Indian banks are reluctant to service the crypto industry and have opted to take matters into their own hands even though there is no official ban in place. The latest institution to reportedly join the bandwagon is IDFC First Bank. It has halted services to crypto companies sometime during the last one week, sources told <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/now-idfc-first-bank-halts-banking-services-to-crypto-industry-11624537138102.html">Livemint.</a> The report claims that the move is temporary while the bank explores 'enhanced due diligence’ regarding banking support to <a href="https://wazirx.com/signup?invite=2kpah6gr&amp;utm_source=business-insider&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsite">crypto</a> exchanges. IDFC First Bank isn't the only one to keep its distance from the volatile markets. ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, and Paytm Payments Bank have taken similar decisions since May. Big wigs HDFC Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) have also cautioned their users against the risks of dealing in unregulated digital currencies like <a href="https://wazirx.com/signup?invite=2kpah6gr&amp;utm_source=business-insider&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsite">Bitcoin</a>. Such moves further add to the confusion for customers who are caught in the middle. The banks’ decisions are internal with no transparency or any direct communication that alerts users to the change. There’s no official ban on cryptocurrencies in India, and the RBI has confirmed it Last month, the RBI <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/rbi-2018-cryptocurrency-circular-not-valid-crypto-exchanges-wazirx-say-deposits-should-resume-soon/articleshow/83117245.cms">clarified</a> that banks and other regulated entities should not cite its <a href="https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/notification/PDFs/NOTI15465B741A10B0E45E896C62A9C83AB938F.PDF">April 2018 order</a> banning banks from engaging with virtual currencies. The directive no longer holds true as it was set aside by the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/cryptocurrency-in-india-is-legal-but-a-pending-bill-with-the-government-could-change-things/articleshow/74521104.cms">Supreme Court of India</a> in 2020. Since then, the crypto industry has been entirely unregulated, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/india-central-bank-lenders-cryptocurrency-exchanges-traders-rbi-bitcoin-ban-2021-5-1030426343">making it tricky</a> for regulated financial players to decide the end outcome. For banks, <a href="https://wazirx.com/signup?invite=2kpah6gr&amp;utm_source=business-insider&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsite">cryptocurrencies</a> are a concern since they're often a preferred instrument for money laundering, illegal purchases, and transactions relating to contraband. While RBI's clarification gave relief to crypto investors, banks are caught in the middle as they can neither entirely support crypto nor claim absolute immunity from its future fallouts or issues. <h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">Self-regulation is the only short-term solution for exchanges</h2> As the Indian government mulls over whether or not to bring in new laws to deal with cryptocurrencies, <keyword id="6422582" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Crypto-Exchanges">crypto exchanges</keyword> have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/wazirx-zebpay-crypto-and-others-are-setting-up-their-own-self-regulation-board-in-india/articleshow/83203195.cms">agreed</a> to self-regulation under the patronage of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). It includes a code of conduct that will see all crypto exchange members voluntarily complying with KYC, tax and other norms. Crypto exchanges are also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/indian-crypto-exchanges-are-eyeing-more-industry-bodies-to-expand-influence/articleshow/83742929.cms">reportedly</a> setting up a second lobby — of which Zebpay is a confirmed member — under the helm of IndiaTech, an industry body representing the country's leading internet startups like Ola, MakeMyTrip, Nykaa, Dream11, and more. With a formal setup, the board and exchanges will develop protocols to accommodate regular audits and inspections, customer redressal mechanism, and fraud protection. The collective effort, they claim, will also help crypto exchanges keep an eye out for money laundering, illegal transactions, and more. It's <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/06/02/india-bitcoin-ban-crypto-exchange-investors-crackdown-rbi/">estimated</a> that India has 15 million crypto investors with ₹10,000 crore worth of digital assets. For an industry that has zero regulations, that's a lot of money at stake. Even though cryptocurrencies are a concern, the underlying technology of blockchain is being welcomed. Recently, 15 private and state-run banks <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/sbi-hdfc-icici-and-12-others-banks-are-joining-forces-to-use-blockchain-to-power-letters-of-credit-a-move-that-could-be-a-boon-for-msmes/articleshow/83570874.cms">teamed up</a> in India to form a new group called Indian Banks' Blockchain Infrastructure Company Private Limited (IBBIC). Initially, they plan to process Letters of Credit (LCs), GST invoices, and e-way bills via blockchain to help speed up the existing system. <a target="_blank" class="c-link" href="https://forum.businessinsider.in/">For a more in-depth discussion, come on over to Business Insider Cryptosphere</a> — a forum where users can deep dive into all things crypto, engage in interesting discussions and stay ahead of the curve. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/heres-how-chinas-2021-crypto-crackdown-in-2021-differs-from-the-2017-ban/articleshow/83802778.cms">Here’s how China’s 2021 crypto crackdown in 2021 differs from the 2017 ban</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/zomato-is-seeking-a-8-billion-valuation-in-its-ipo-does-it-make-sense/articleshow/83801848.cms">There are a few reasons why Zomato wants $8 billion valuation from its IPO -- here's a look at if it makes sense</a>

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Is the lending party over? The dangerous tango of Indian banks with microfinance and unsecured loans

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Top 8 banks offering low interest rates on home loans; check full list here

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Simply Put: Is the lending party over? The dangerous tango of Indian banks with microfinance and unsecured loans

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FPI boost: Adani Power, IDFC First Bank, Paytm see the highest increase in Sept holdings

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IDFC to merge with its banking arm in all-stock deal

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You can get the iPhone 16 in under 10 minutes while sitting at home, here is how

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What has changed for your credit cards, starting today?

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Nifty Bank index up over 11% so far this year, BoB outperforms index

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IDFC First Bank joins ICICI Bank, Yes Bank and others in stopping services to crypto companies, despite RBI's nudge to ignore its 2018 order

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