Issue: 1178
· India reduced excise duty on
petrol and diesel due to surge in global oil prices amid Middle East conflict.
· Government imposed windfall
tax on diesel and aviation fuel exports to offset revenue loss from excise duty
cuts.
· UK economy faces recession
risk due to high energy prices and rising interest rates.
· US Federal Reserve officials
signalled that interest rate cuts may be over for now.
· PFRDA and Digital India
BHASHINI signed MoU to improve multilingual access in pension services.
· RBI cancelled Treasury Bill
auction after investors demanded higher yields.
· The Indian Rupee plummeted
past ?94 per US dollar on March 28, marking its worst fiscal performance in
over a decade.
· India’s foreign exchange
reserves saw a $30 billion drop in March, the third consecutive weekly decline,
primarily driven by falling gold holdings.
Rupee expected to
strengthen 100 Paise following RBI directive on forex positions: The Rupee (INR) could
strengthen by as much as 100 paise against the US Dollar (USD) on Monday as
last Friday’s RBI direction to Banks, which are authorised to deal in foreign
exchange, will require them to unwind their long Dollar positions in the
domestic forex market. The Direction, which was issued after market hours on
March 27th, asks Authorised Dealers to ensure that their Net Open Position –
Indian Rupee (NOP-INR) in the onshore deliverable market should be maintained
within US$ 100 million at the end of each business day.
(Business Line)
West Asia conflict triggers
record FPI outflows from govt bonds: The ongoing West Asia conflict
is weighing heavily on Indian markets, with foreign portfolio investors (FPIs)
becoming net sellers of Rs 14,403 crore in March so far – the highest ever –
from government securities under the fully accessible route (FAR), according to
Clearing Corporation of India (CCIL) data. In contrast, FPIs were net buyers in the
previous month. They purchased securities worth Rs 7,445 crore in February and
Rs 14,625 crore in January. The FPI holding in government securities fell to Rs
3.16 lakh crore as of March 27 from Rs 3.31 lakh crore in the previous month.
In the current financial year (FY26), FPIs net bought government debt worth Rs
10,356 crore, the lowest in five years. For comparison, they pumped a record Rs
1.32 lakh crore in FY25.
(Financial Express)
India opposes China-led
investment pact's inclusion in WTO framework: India on Saturday said it has
strongly opposed the contentious China-led Investment Facilitation for
Development (IFD) Agreement for its incorporation into the WTO framework. Incorporation
of the IFD agreement risks eroding the functional limits of the WTO and
undermining its foundational principles, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush
Goyal said in a social media post. This was stated by India in the ongoing 14th
ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Yaounde,
Cameroon. Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement
contains Plurilateral Trade Agreements that are binding only on the WTO members
that have accepted them, unlike the mandatory multilateral agreements.
(Financial Express)
Lenders seek relaxation in
forex position curbs: Banks have approached the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ease its forex position limit of $100 million that
was announced on Friday. In a meeting that was held with the central bank on
Saturday, banks have also sought an extension of the April 10 deadline to meet
these conditions, sources told FE. There are fears that the this could lead to
unwinding of positions in excess of $30 billion, with some pegging the amount
at around $40-$45 billion. “Banks have
requested to either extend the deadline or consider the new non-deliverable
forward (NDF) positions, exempting the outstanding ones. This will help banks to
curb their losses from sudden unwinding of the positions,” said a banker.
(Financial Express)
CMS Info Systems acquires
FSS's ATM managed services business for Rs 115 crore: In a significant signal of
consolidation in India's ATM industry, CMS Info Systems — the country's largest
ATM and cash management company — has acquired the ATM Managed Services
business of Financial Software and Systems Private Limited (FSS) for a
consideration of up to Rs 115 crore. This move signals
consolidation in India's ATM sector. The deal adds 8,000 ATMs to CMS's network.
This acquisition follows the insolvency of AGS Transact Technologies. CMS aims
to become the preferred partner for banks seeking fewer, larger service
providers.
(Economic Times)
MP govt withdraws five-year
ban on Bank of Baroda within 24 hours: The Madhya Pradesh government
has withdrawn its order banning Bank of Baroda from undertaking government
business, less than 24 hours after issuing it. The initial order, issued on
March 27, barred the public sector lender from handling government transactions
for five years, citing non-compliance with official instructions on fund
transfers under the state’s Chief Minister Kisan Yojana. It alleged that the
bank failed to transfer the full amount of ?1,751 crore, as directed by the
state government through the RTGS mechanism, resulting in only partial
execution of the transaction.
(Business Standard)
Jio Fin Services
expects to start life, general insurance biz in 2026: Jio Financial Services (JFS) is hoping to
start general and life insurance businesses this year, a top company official
has said. The financial services company does not have any immediate plan to
get into the unsecured and consumer durable lending businesses. "We hope
to start insurance manufacturing in 2026, subject to regulatory
approvals," its chief executive and managing director Hitesh Sethia told
PTI recently. The company, which recently entered the reinsurance business,
along with its equal joint venture associate Allianz, will partner with the
French company for general and life insurance businesses as well.
(Business Standard)
China restricts founders
from leaving country after selling AI startup to Meta for $2 billion: Chinese authorities have barred the co?founders of AI startup Manus from leaving the
country as regulators review Meta’s proposed acquisition of the company, in a
move that underscores Beijing’s tightening grip over artificial intelligence,
cross?border tech deals and the
movement of talent, multiple media reports said. The restrictions were imposed after Meta agreed to
buy Manus, an AI startup with Chinese roots that has since relocated key
operations to Singapore, reports stated.
(Moneycontrol)
Foreign investors dump
record ?1.14 lakh cr in March on West Asia conflict: Foreign investors have pulled out ?1.14 lakh
crore (about $12.3 billion) from domestic equities in March, making it the
worst monthly outflow, weighed down by escalating tensions in West Asia, a
weakening rupee and concerns over the impact of elevated crude oil prices on
India's growth. With one trading session still remaining in the month, the
outflows could extend further. The previous record for the highest monthly
exodus stood at ?94,017 crore in October 2024. With the latest withdrawals,
total foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) outflow has reached ?1.27 lakh crore
so far in 2026, according to NSDL data.
(Business Line)
Airlines to offer 60% seats
in flights without extra charges from April 20: Airlines will start offering at least 60 per
cent of seats in a flight without levying any additional charge from April 20,
as well as maintain a transparent seat allocation policy, according to aviation
watchdog DGCA. On March 18, the civil aviation ministry announced that
directions have been issued to the DGCA to direct airlines to allocate a
minimum of 60 per cent of seats for selection on any flight free of charge to
ensure fair access for passengers. In this regard, the Directorate General of
Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued the amended Air Transport Circular dated March 20.
(Business Standard)
NCLAT quashed BSE’s appeal
to defreeze demat accounts of insolvent entities: The national company law appellate tribunal
(NCLAT) has quashed appeals by the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) against NCLT’s
order to defreeze the demat accounts of two entities undergoing insolvency and
liquidation processes. In its appeals, BSE argued that the NCLT doesn’t have
jurisdiction under Section 60 (5) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)
to deal with the issues pertaining to the securities law. However, the
appellate tribunal noted that the NCLT was well within its jurisdiction to
entertain the applications filed by the resolution professional and liquidators
of the two firms Future Corporate Resources (FCRL) and Liz Traders and Agents.
NCLAT said that the applications moved by the liquidator and RP are for the
benefit of the debt-ridden companies, which is allowed under Section 14 of the
IBC.
(Financial Express)
RBI curbs on rupee
positions may force unwinding of arbitrage bets: The Reserve Bank of India's
restrictions on rupee positions are set to force an unwinding of arbitrage
trades between the non-deliverable forward (NDF) and onshore markets, exposing
banks to potential losses, six traders said. India's central ?bank on Friday,
after market hours, said banks must ensure their net open rupee positions ?in
the onshore deliverable market do not exceed $100 million at the end of each
business day, with compliance required by ?April 10. Net open position refers
to the residual currency exposure a bank carries after offsetting all its
positions. Under existing rules, banks can set net open position limits within
25 per cent of total capital, while the RBI retains the power to impose tighter
caps to manage currency volatility.
(Business Standard)
KNOWLEDGE PROCESS OUTSOURCING (KPO)
·
Knowledge
process outsourcing (KPO) is the outsourcing of core, information-related
business activities. KPO involves contracting out work to individuals who
typically have advanced degrees and expertise in a specialized area.
·
The information-related work
can be carried out by workers in a different company or by a subsidiary of the
same organization. The subsidiary may be in the same country or in an offshore
location to save costs or other resources.
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 : 94.5988
INR
/ 1 GBP : 126.1986
INR
/ 1 EUR : 109.1594
INR
/100 JPY: 59.2600
EQUITY INDEX
Sensex:
73583.22 (-1690.23)
NIFTY:
22819.60 (-486.85)
Bnk NIFTY: 52274.60 (-1433.50)
International Day
of Zero Waste: March 30 is
globally recognized as the International Day of Zero Waste, aimed at promoting
sustainable consumption and waste management. It is also widely celebrated as
National Doctors' Day in the United States, honoring the contributions of
physicians, and as Land Day in Palestine.
Historical events: March 30 holds
significant historical weight, marked in India by the establishment of
Rajasthan state in 1949, when Jaipur was designated as its capital, and Mahatma
Gandhi's 1919 protest against the Rowlatt Act. Globally, this day commemorates
the birth of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh in 1853, the 1959 flight of the
14th Dalai Lama from Tibet to India, and in 1867, the United States signing a
treaty with Russia to purchase Alaska for USD 7.2 million.
****Have a nice Day****
Visit our website
www.thebankingupdates.com
For Regular
updates, Monthly e-magazines & Promotion Study materials
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR COMMUNITY/GROUP FOR
DAILY UPDATES
CLICK HERE TO
JOIN OUR CHANNEL FOR DAILY UPDATES & QUIZ
Contact us: #
8261802533
Email: bankingupdates2020@gmail.com