Think of Singapore, Dubai or even Morocco and their image as world-class financial hubs is matched by the sheer number of global majors making their presence felt in these cities and their special economic zones. The vast breadth and depth of activities around the financial markets is worthy of emulation.In addition, these cities and economic zones also happen to be tax havens or low-tax regions making them all the more attractive for global investors and financial institutions to set up and run operations, ...

Market Performance - The Nifty 100 index has shown no returns since June 27, 2025, while the Midcap 150 index has increased by 1.1% and the Smallcap 250 index has decreased by 9% [1][2] - Since September 27, 2024, the Nifty 100 index has declined by 3.8%, the Midcap 150 index by 1.2%, and the Smallcap 250 index by 12.8% [2][18] Fixed Deposit (FD) Rates - Many banks and small finance banks are offering FD rates between 7% and 7.9%, despite some banks cutting rates following the Reserve Bank of India's repo rate cut [2][18] - Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) banks are offering FD rates above 6.5%, while private banks are providing rates up to 7.85%, and small finance banks are offering the highest rate of 7.9% [6][18] Investor Sentiment - In the current investment climate, capital protection is prioritized, making FD returns appear favorable [8][18] - Investors are favoring safety and guaranteed returns over higher but uncertain returns in volatile markets, leading to a psychological advantage for FD investors [9][18] Asset Allocation and Strategy - FDs are seen as stabilizing portfolios, providing liquidity, and protecting capital during market downturns [13][14] - Long-term investors are advised to maintain a disciplined asset allocation strategy, focusing on rebalancing rather than panic selling during market corrections [16][17]

Apple is reportedly holding discussions with Indian banks and international card networks to launch its payment service in the country. ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank are among the lenders involved in the talks, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. According to the report, the iPhone maker is targeting the launch of Apple Pay around the middle of 2026. The schedule may change, but the talks indicate preparations are underway. Apple is also in conversations with Mastercard an ...

The pilot is being implemented by the Puducherry government, the RBI, the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and Canara BankCurrently being piloted in Puducherry, the Centre plans to expand the initiative to three to four states and UTs, including Chandigarh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, “soon”Beneficiaries will get digital coupons in their CBDC wallets, which can then be used to redeem the entitled quantity of foodgrains at merchant outletsThe Centre yesterday rolled out a central bank digital currenc ...

HDFC Bank’s share edged up to 28.4%, while Despite this spending concentration, the share of active cards among the top five banks remained stable at around 74–75%, suggesting consumers increasingly rely on top banks for high-value purchases. January 2026 also saw total credit card spending decline 2.7% month-on-month to nearly Rs 2 lakh crore, but HDFC Bank and SBI recorded smaller contractions than the overall industry, lifting their combined market share to 47.5%. Online transactions dominated with 61.8 ...

Group 1 - Apple is in discussions with several Indian banks and global card networks to launch its Apple Pay service in India [1] - The company is negotiating with ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Axis Bank, aiming for a service introduction around mid-2026 [1]

On the banking front, Shah expressed caution following the fraud episode at IDFC First Bank, describing it as a serious issue that requires thorough system and process checks. He said the bank may not recover for the next one or two quarters until full clarity emerges and expects the stock to remain range-bound in the near term, though it could look interesting near one time price-to-book once uncertainties are resolved. He also flagged possible deposit outflows and near-term growth impact for both Discuss ...

Analysts said any migration of low-cost current and savings accounts (CASA) from private lenders is likely to benefit large state-sector banks, particularly "There will be greater scrutiny of government deposits in private sector banks, and some balances could migrate to PSU banks over the medium term, particularly impacting CASA," said Suresh Ganapathy, head of Financial Services Research at Macquarie Capital. "Post-Covid, CASA ratios across the system have already declined by 500-600 basis points from pe ...

Analysts said any migration of low-cost “There will be greater scrutiny of ET had reported that the Haryana government has de-empanelled IDFC First Bank and “We have deep relationships with our government clients. We do not believe this will pose a systemic issue, but we are committed to further strengthening our processes and service standards,” said V Vaidyanathan, Managing Director of IDFC First Bank, on an analyst call.Live EventsMost large private sector banks have meaningful exposure to state and cen ...

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed higher on Monday (February 23, 2026), tracking gains in PSU bank, auto and financial stocks, as investors' sentiments improved after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration's sweeping tariffs.The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 479.95 points, or 0.58%, to settle at 83,294.66. During the session, the benchmark jumped 671.44 points, or 0.81%, to hit an intraday high of 83,486.15.Also Read | Tariffs in trouble: On the U.S. Supreme Court and Donal ...