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The Banking Frontline 20 June 2026

Issue: 1249


·    Govt asks global internet body, ICANN, to set up root servers in India.

·    SBI raises its FCNR (B) game with 9x leverage play under RBI scheme.

·    RBI revamps Lead Bank Scheme, strengthens district credit planning.

·    Banks' supervisory data quality score slips marginally to 90.7 in March 2026 from 90.9 in December 2025.

·    Silver prices fall sharply as USD surges on hawkish Fed; may test $60.

·    Gold demand stays muted in India despite price drop to two-month low.

·    SBI Mutual Fund IPO gets SEBI approval.


Forex reserves fall $10 bn as decline in gold prices drags overall holdings: Foreign-exchange reserves in India declined by $9.98 billion to $671.63 billion in the week ended June 12, marking the steepest weekly drop since the end of March, according to the latest data released by RBI. The reserves fell $56 billion since the beginning of the conflict in West Asia in late February. The decline during the reporting week was primarily driven by a sharp fall in value of gold reserves. The value of gold holdings fell by $10.75 billion during the reported week.

(Business Standard)

Sensex tanks 608 pts, Nifty ends at 24,013 on IT sell-off: The Nifty50 and the Sensex slumped in Friday’s session as IT shares dropped sharply following dismal sales and top-line outlook from their global peer Accenture. The Nifty50 ended 155 points or 0.64 per cent lower at 24,013.10, and the Sensex fell 0.78 per cent or 608 points to 76,802.90. In the Nifty50 index, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, and Tech Mahindra were the top losers. In the broader markets, the Nifty MidCap and the Nifty SmallCap indices settled 0.22 per cent and 0.42 per cent higher, respectively. Sector-wise, the Nifty50 IT slumped the most. The Nifty Realty, the Nifty Auto, and the Nifty Oil & Gas also underperformed. The Nifty Pharma rose the most.

(Business Standard)

Banks' demand muted at RBI's VRR auction despite lower surplus liquidity: The demand from banks remained muted at the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) three-day variable rate repo (VRR) auction held on Friday, indicating limited demand for short-term funds from banks. The central bank received bids worth Rs.16,750 crore from banks at the VRR auction against the notified amount of Rs.1 trillion. The RBI accepted the entire amount at the auction at a cut-off and weighted average rate of 5.26 per cent. Liquidity conditions in the banking system remained in surplus, though at a lower level. According to the latest data available with the RBI, systemic liquidity surplus stood at around Rs.19,163.11 crore as on June 18.

(Business Standard)


Banks raise FCNR(B) deposit rates again: Some banks have again raised interest rates on foreign currency non-resident (bank) [FCNR(B)] deposits to as high as 7.13%, after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) temporarily removed the interest-rate ceiling on select such deposits giving lenders greater flexibility to attract overseas funds. Punjab National Bank has increased the interest rate on FCNR(B) deposits of $1 million and above to 6.60% for tenures of three to five yearsUjjivan Small Finance Bank is preparing to revise its rates upwards from the current 7.13%.

(Financial Express)

RBI releases final KCC guidelines:  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday released the final guidelines on the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme. The central bank accepted several stakeholder suggestions on its proposed guidelines, including deferring the implementation of the revised framework to January 1, 2027. “Considering operational and implementation challenges at the field level, KCC loans sanctioned prior to January 01, 2027 shall continue to be governed by the existing KCC guidelines till maturity / next renewal,” RBI said. Among the major changes accepted by the central bank are the incorporation of district level technical committee (DLTC) scale of finance references, an indicative list of technology interventions eligible under KCC, applicability of Flexi KCC to allied activities, and rounding off of KCC credit limits to the nearest Rs 1,000. The tenure of the facility also increased to 6 years.

(Financial Express)

RBI seeks daily reporting of FCNR (B) deposits, ECB data: RBI has asked banks to report data on FCNR (B) deposits, external commercial borrowings and overseas foreign currency borrowings daily, it said in a notification on Friday. On June 8, the RBI launched the swap facility for FCNR (B) deposits and ECBs. It would absorb the full hedging cost on incremental FCNR(B) deposits and partial hedging cost for ECBs, as part of a broader package of measures aimed at attracting foreign currency inflows and supporting the rupee. The data from June 8 till issuance of these directions, shall be submitted along with the first reporting due on June 22, the RBI said.  In a separate notification, the RBI also exempted non-resident (external) rupee term deposits of three years or more tenure from the cash reserve ratio and statutory liquidity ratio requirements, the central bank said in a notification on Friday. The exemption will be valid till September 30.

(Financial Express)

Banks fear losing NRI customers as competition heats up: Intense competition for FCNR (B) deposits has left some lenders apprehensive they could lose overseas customers as their offerings may not be as attractive as those of others. With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) having lifted the cap on these deposits, a clutch of banks has raised their interest rates making their offers more attractive. In fact, a couple of banks, that had announced new interest rates on FCNR (B) deposits, are understood to be reconsidering their products after the removal of the cap.“We were early to announce rates but will revisit them in the light of the new rules,” said a senior banker.

(Financial Express)

India to assume Vice-Presidency of the Financial Action Task Force for the first time: In a landmark recognition of India’s growing leadership in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, Shri Vivek Aggarwal, a 1994-batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service (Madhya Pradesh cadre) and presently Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Culture, has been elected and appointed Vice-President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). This is the first time that India will hold the Vice-Presidency of the FATF.

(PiB)

SBI raises its FCNR (B) game with 9x leverage play under RBI scheme: State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender, has moved swiftly to capitalise on the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) special concessional scheme for foreign currency non-resident (bank) deposits, offering customers nine times leverage on their FCNR(B) investments. It is the first lender to hit the ground running after the central bank announced the scheme earlier this month. The leverage facility will apply to dollar-denominated deposits of $1 million and above. Under this, for every $1 million deposited in an FCNR(B) account, SBI can extend loans of up to $9 million to customers against the deposit. For a five-year maturity, the loan rate has been set at 5.4 per cent, while the deposit rate is 6 per cent, translating into a return on investment of 14.08 per cent after factoring in leverage.

(Business Standard)


Jio Platforms files for India’s largest ever IPO of $4 billion: Jio Platforms, the digital arm of Reliance Industries, has filed a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI for an initial public offering that the company says would be the largest in Indian history, with proceeds earmarked primarily for debt repayment. The offering comprises a fresh issue of 270 million equity shares, representing approximately 2.9 per cent of post-issue share capital. Key terms include: - Net proceeds will repay or prepay outstanding borrowings of Rs 27,500 crore, with the remainder for general corporate purposes.

(Business Today)

Reliance eyes Rs.4 lakh crore EBITDA by 2031; Bets big on AI and clean energy: Reliance Industries on Friday placed artificial intelligence and clean energy at the centre of its future growth strategy, unveiling plans for one of the world’s largest AI computing platforms, a sovereign satellite broadband network and a multi-billion-dollar green ammonia export business, while simultaneously setting the stage for the long-awaited Jio Platforms IPO. At the company’s 49th Annual General Meeting, Chairman Mukesh Ambani stated that the conglomerate’s transformation into a consumer, digital and new energy powerhouse has already delivered significant financial gains and will continue to drive expansion over the coming decade. Building on this momentum, Reliance has set a target to double its EBITDA once again over the next five years, aiming to surpass Rs.4 lakh crore by 2031.

(Business Line)

SBI, Axis Bank among lenders set for $2 billion ECB fundraising via RBI swap: Major Indian banks, including SBI, Axis Bank, and Bank of Baroda, alongside Power Finance Corporation, are set to raise over $2 billion from overseas markets next week. This move capitalizes on the Reserve Bank of India's 1.5% fixed-rate swap incentive for external commercial borrowings, aimed at bolstering the rupee. HDFC Bank's recent successful dollar bond sale has spurred this wave of fundraising.

(Economic Times)


SEBI revises intraday borrowing rules, gives mutual funds more flexibility: Market regulator SEBI has approved changes to the framework governing intraday borrowings by mutual funds, giving AMCs greater flexibility to use short-term bank borrowings for a wider range of operational requirements beyond investor redemptions. The move comes after the mutual fund industry raised concerns over the framework notified earlier this year, arguing that the existing restrictions could hamper efficient fund management. Currently, mutual funds are permitted to access intraday borrowings mainly to meet redemption payouts, interest payments and Income Distribution-cum-Capital Withdrawal (IDCW) obligations. Such borrowings are also capped by guaranteed receivables expected on the same day.

(Business Today)

SEBI board brings back open market buybacks, formalises new code of conduct: The SEBI board cleared the reintroduction of open-market buybacks through stock exchanges, a faster rollout mechanism for alternative investment fund (AIF) schemes, aligning securitisation norms for RBI-regulated entities, and intraday borrowing by mutual funds. The board has also approved a new code of conduct 2026 for members of SEBI and will also be amended in the Employees’ Service Regulations 2001.

(Business Line)

Credit registry for microfinance institutions: Recordent, a credit risk and collections platform, has rolled out a credit registry for Section 8 Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) to improve credit visibility and strengthen risk assessment. The MFI Credit Registry will enable participating institutions to share and access borrower loan data through a common platform, helping lenders improve underwriting, monitor borrower indebtedness and make more informed credit decisions. The initiative comes amid efforts to strengthen credit information sharing and risk assessment across the microfinance ecosystem. According to the Microfinance Insights Report (February 2026) by Equifax, the sector’s portfolio outstanding stood at Rs 3.2 lakh crore across 10.5 crore active loans. The registry, designed for Not-for-Profit MFIs, will function as a shared credit information infrastructure, allowing participating institutions to upload and access borrower data while combining it with bureau insights through a unified credit report.

(Financial Express)


GINI COEFFICIENT

·     The Gini coefficient is a statistical measure of income or wealth inequality within a population, ranging from 0 to 1. A score of 0 represents perfect equality, where everyone has the same income, while a score of 1 indicates perfect inequality, where all income belongs to a single person.

·     Named after Italian sociologist Corrado Gini, it is widely used to compare the distribution of resources across different countries and over time.

·     The coefficient is calculated based on the cumulative share of the population and the cumulative share of total income they receive.


RBI KEY RATES

Repo Rate: 5.25%

SDF: 5.00%

MSF /Bank Rate: 5.50%

CRR: 3.00%

SLR: 18.00%

FOREX RATES (RBI REF. RATE)

INR / 1 USD : 94.4735

INR / 1 GBP : 124.6036

INR / 1 EUR : 108.0273

INR /100 JPY: 58.5500

EQUITY INDEX

Sensex: 76802.90 (-607.08)

NIFTY: 24013.10 (-154.90)

Bnk NIFTY: 57685.75 (-278.05)


World Refugee Day: June 20 is internationally recognized as World Refugee Day by the United Nations, dedicated to honoring the strength and resilience of refugees globally.

Historical events: On June 20, significant milestones occurred globally and in India, ranging from the tragic Black Hole of Calcutta in 1756 to the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837 and the opening of Mumbai's Victoria Terminus in 1887.

 

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