Business

New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken a significant step to streamline digital banking operations across the country. On Friday, the central bank issued seven new ‘Master Directions’ specifically targeting digital banking practices for commercial banks, small finance banks, and other financial institutions. This move is part of RBI’s broader mission to simplify and consolidate regulations, reducing unnecessary paperwork and making banking operations more efficient. With these new directives, banks and financial institutions will face less administrative burden, improving both internal workflows and customer service. Consolidating Regulations RBI has so far issued a total of 244 Master Directions, which consolidate previously fragmented and scattered instructions. Th...

New Delhi: In a landmark decision, India’s capital market regulator SEBI has reclassified Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) under the equity category, effective 1 January 2026. This move aims to encourage mutual funds (MFs) and Specialized Investment Funds (SIFs) to invest more freely in the real estate sector. According to SEBI’s circular, any investments made by MFs and SIFs in REITs after 1 January 2026 will be treated as equity investments. Meanwhile, Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) will continue to remain in the hybrid category, combining equity and debt. Impact on Existing Investments Investments in REITs under debt schemes until 31 December 2025 will remain unaffected by the new rules. However, fund houses are advised to gradually exit these old debt-based REI...

New Delhi: Global aviation was thrown into turmoil after European aerospace giant Airbus announced the recall of 6,000 aircraft from its A320-series fleet. The company confirmed a critical software vulnerability that could expose aircraft to intense solar radiation, potentially corrupting vital flight-control data. The issue surfaced after a 30 October incident, when an A320 flying from Cancun (Mexico) to Newark (USA) experienced sudden flight-control malfunction, forcing an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida. DGCA Issues Strict Advisory in India Taking cognizance of the risk, India’s aviation regulator DGCA has directed all Indian carriers to ground their A320 aircraft until mandatory upgrades under EASA directives are completed. The DGCA order states:Operators must ensure “n...

Authored By: Shishir Chaurasia | NavbharatTimes.com • 29 Nov 2025, 10:15 AM Mumbai: Hospitality major OYO is gearing up to launch its long-awaited Initial Public Offering (IPO). Its parent company, Prism, has called an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 20 December to seek shareholders’ approval for the public issue. According to the notice, the company plans to raise up to ₹6,650 crore through the IPO, which will be generated by issuing fresh equity shares. Shareholders to Vote on Bonus Issue Alongside the IPO proposal, Prism has also placed a resolution to issue bonus shares. Under the proposed structure, shareholders will receive 1 fully paid-up equity bonus share for every 19 shares held. The company has fixed 5 December as the record date, meaning shareholders holdi...

India is witnessing an unprecedented surge in gold loans, with people increasingly pledging their gold jewellery to meet financial needs. According to RBI data released on Friday, the outstanding amount under gold loans has soared by 128.5% over the past year, reaching ₹3.38 lakh crore by October 2025. From March 2025 alone, the rise stands at 63.6%. Why Are Gold Loans Rising So Fast? A major factor behind this sharp jump is a regulatory shift. In May 2024, banks began classifying agriculture-related gold loans under the retail gold loan category, significantly increasing the size of the segment. Additionally: Gold loans have become a preferred borrowing option due to their secured nature, easy availability, and quick processing. Personal loan growth remains strong, but nea...

Air India, now a part of the Tata Group, has issued an official statement regarding the recent safety directive affecting Airbus A320 family aircraft worldwide. The airline confirmed that none of its flights have been cancelled due to the mandatory software and hardware updates ordered by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Airbus. Air India’s Statement According to the airline, more than 40% of its affected aircraft have already been updated, and the remaining work will be completed well within EASA’s prescribed deadline. Air India also clarified that: There is no significant disruption in its network operations. Some flights may experience slight delays or minor schedule changes. Ground staff are available across airports to assist passengers. What Le...

The global shift towards electric vehicles, battery storage, clean energy systems, and advanced grid networks has triggered an unprecedented surge in the demand for rare earth elements. However, China’s overwhelming control over this critical supply chain has become a strategic threat—not just for India, but for the entire Western world. Recently, the Union Cabinet cleared a major policy decision aimed at reducing India’s dependence on China for rare earth materials. The new initiative seeks to accelerate domestic manufacturing of rare earth permanent magnets—an area where China has enjoyed unchallenged dominance for decades. With nearly 70% of global rare earth mining and 90% of refining capacity under its control, China’s monopoly has turned into a geopolitical weapon. What Makes R...

New Delhi: Gold prices have been on a remarkable upward trajectory this year, frequently hitting record levels. Despite a slight dip in November, the precious metal continues to rise, marking the fourth consecutive month of gains. Analysts say gold is now on track for its best annual performance in 46 years, since 1979. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold for February 5 delivery rose by over ₹700, opening at ₹1,28,352 per 10 grams compared to the previous session’s close of ₹1,27,667. By 11:42 AM, it was trading at ₹1,28,380, up ₹713. The upward momentum is attributed to expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve may cut interest rates in December. Bloomberg reports that despite delays in economic data due to a U.S. government shutdown, gold continues its strong performance. ...

New Delhi: The Indian luxury housing market has witnessed unprecedented growth over the past three years, with Delhi-NCR leading the surge. Property prices have skyrocketed, particularly in the premium and luxury segments. According to ANAROCK Research, from 2022 to 2025, average luxury home prices in India’s top seven cities rose by 40%, far outpacing other segments. In comparison, affordable housing prices increased by just 26%. Delhi-NCR Leads the Price SurgeAnurag Puri, Chairman of ANAROCK Group, highlighted that in 2022, the average luxury home price in the top seven cities was around ₹14,530 per sq ft, which has now climbed to approximately ₹20,300 per sq ft. Delhi-NCR recorded a remarkable 72% increase, from ₹13,450 per sq ft in 2022 to ₹23,100 per sq ft in 2025. Other cities fol...

New Delhi: Weddings in India are synonymous with grand celebrations and high expenses. For parents planning their daughter’s wedding, accumulating a corpus of ₹1 crore can seem daunting. Recently, during ET Now’s “The Money Show”, NRI investor Rajesh Sahni, originally from Kanpur and currently residing in Nigeria, shared his strategy to build a wedding fund for his daughter. Rajesh has been consistently investing in India through monthly SIPs of ₹90,000 across various mutual fund schemes, including HDFC Flexicap, HDFC Mid Cap, HDFC Multi Cap, Bandhan Small Cap, Kotak Contra, and two Motilal Oswal schemes. He now plans to increase his SIP by ₹30,000 per month and seeks guidance on whether to diversify into new funds or consolidate within existing ones. His primary goal is to accumulate ₹...