Author: Finance Khabar
Finance Desk – Welcome to the world of Indian mutual funds — where your great-grandfather’s paper units are still lost in a cupboard somewhere, and unclaimed assets are chilling to the tune of ₹1.3 lakh crore. Enter blockchain, the tech superhero we keep hyping but rarely let out of the lab. So, the big question: Can blockchain revolutionise mutual fund ownership in India? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Yes, but only if we stop being scared of technology and paperwork ghosts. Tokenization: Bye-Bye, Paper Drama Imagine if mutual fund units were digital tokens you held in your digital wallet. No…
Finance Desk – In a move that might finally give your wallet a breather, LIC Housing Finance has decided to play nice and cut home loan interest rates by 50 basis points. Starting June 19, 2025, new home loan customers can enjoy rates from 7.50% – just in time for the company’s 36th Foundation Day. Because what better gift than slightly cheaper debt, right? LIC HFL CEO Tribhuwan Adhikari said the rate cut is part of their mission to make home ownership more accessible. He added they’re aligning with the RBI’s policy direction, which is basically banker-speak for “RBI cut…
Finance Desk – In a move that’s got finance bros and tech geeks nodding in sync, Jio BlackRock Mutual Fund has officially launched Aladdin – no, not the guy with a lamp, but BlackRock’s high-tech investment and risk management platform. This comes right after the mutual fund got its official SEBI nod in May 2025. Now they’re ready to sprinkle some serious digital magic on the Indian investment scene. So, what’s Aladdin? It’s BlackRock’s superbrain – a global tool that analyzes investments, manages risks, and probably knows what the market’s going to eat for lunch. And for the first time,…
Finance Desk – If your money is chilling in a savings account or a fixed deposit with SBI, here’s a gentle (and slightly painful) wake-up call: interest rates are going down—again. Starting June 15, SBI is trimming rates on both savings accounts and fixed deposits (FDs). What’s Happening? SBI has cut savings account interest rates by up to 50 basis points across the board. Fixed deposits under ₹3 crore also got a haircut—25 bps lower depending on the maturity. Why? Well, the RBI cut the repo rate by 50 bps last week, so SBI and other banks are just following…
Finance Desk – According to a report by The Times of India, Air India had increased the insurance cover on its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft from ₹750 crore to ₹850 crore in April 2025—just two months before it crashed near Ahmedabad on June 12, killing around 270 people. Insurance and Expected Claims The total claims from the crash are expected to cross ₹1,500 crore. A group of Indian insurers led by Tata AIG will reportedly absorb only ₹100–150 crore of the losses. Over 90% of the risk was passed on to global reinsurers in London and other international markets. The…
Finance Desk – With rising household debt and increasing defaults in the retail segment, missing a personal loan EMI is a serious issue. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has urged borrowers to be careful and follow responsible borrowing habits. Here are 5 major consequences of missing your personal loan EMI: A poor credit score makes borrowing in the future more difficult. Once your loan is tagged as NPA: Take legal action under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 With personal loan defaults still high, especially at private banks, it’s even more important to pay EMIs on time.
Finance Desk – Paytm’s stock (One 97 Communications) fell sharply by 10% to ₹864.20 on Thursday during intraday trading on the BSE. This drop came after the Finance Ministry denied reports that merchant discount rates (MDR) would be charged on UPI transactions. This is Paytm’s biggest single-day fall in the last 16 months. The last major fall was on February 2, 2024, when the stock fell 20% in one session. At 9:32 AM, Paytm was trading 9% lower at ₹872.20, while the BSE Sensex was up by 0.16%. In just the first 17 minutes of trading, 7.35 million shares were…
Modi Nagar, June 9, 2025: Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, on Saturday inaugurated the residential wing of the Weightlifting Warriors Academy — the centre where Olympic Silver Medalist Mirabai Chanu trains — marking a significant milestone in India’s Olympic preparations for 2036. The state-of-the-art facility, established by Chief National Coach Shri Vijay Sharma in September 2024, will now provide accommodation for up to 60 athletes in 30 fully equipped rooms. Currently, 40 young athletes aged 8-14 years and 15 elite athletes are also training at the academy. Speaking at the inauguration, Union Minister of…
Finance Desk – In a big step towards promoting financial inclusion and customer-friendly banking, Canara Bank has announced the removal of Average Monthly Balance (AMB) charges for all types of savings bank accounts, effective June 1, 2025. What’s New? No Minimum Balance Requirement Customers can now maintain zero balance in their savings accounts without any penalty. Applies to All Savings Accounts The waiver is applicable for: Regular Savings Accounts Salary Accounts NRI Savings Accounts First Among PSU Banks Canara Bank becomes the first major public sector bank to introduce this true zero balance facility across account categories. Why This Matters…
Detects and blocks malicious websites across all communications platforms including email, OTTs and SMSes in real time Meerut, May 15, 2025: In continuation of its fight against spam, Airtel today unveiled a new cutting-edge solution that will detect and block malicious websites across all communication Over-The-Top (OTT) apps and platforms including emails, browsers, OTTs like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, SMSes etc., in real time. This safe service will be seamlessly integrated with, and auto- enabled for, all Airtel mobile and broadband customers at no additional cost. When a customer tries to access a website flagged as malicious by Airtel’s advanced security…
Finance Desk – In a significant judgment, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ruled that being a nominee on an insurance policy does not give ownership rights over the insurance money. The court clarified that the nominee is merely a custodian, and the actual rights over the money lie with the legal heirs, as per succession laws. Background of the Case Petitioner: Kusum, a resident of Unnao, Uttar Pradesh Subject: Dispute over life insurance proceeds of her late daughter, Ranjeeta Details: Kusum had taken 15 life insurance policies in her daughter’s name before she got married. Ranjeeta…
Finance Desk – In a move aimed at attracting new borrowers and rewarding creditworthy customers, Bank of Baroda has slashed home loan interest rates, now offering loans starting at 8% per annum for amounts ₹15 lakh and above. This reduction applies to both fresh home loans and home improvement loans, making it a timely opportunity for potential homeowners. Key Highlights of the New Rates: Interest rate range for salaried individuals: 8% – 9.50% p.a. Interest rate for non-salaried individuals: 8% – 9.60% p.a. Loan types covered: Baroda Home Loans and Home Improvement Loans Linked to credit profile: Better credit score…
Finance Desk – As of March 2025, mutual funds in India are holding the highest level of cash in 15 years. This cautious move by fund managers signals a shift in strategy, as they choose to hold on to cash rather than invest aggressively in a market trading near all-time highs. Why Are Fund Managers Holding Cash? According to a report by Elara Securities, cash levels across active mutual fund schemes have sharply risen, a pattern last seen during the market phases of 2011 and 2018. Experts believe this is not due to a lack of money, but rather a…
Finance Desk – UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is now India’s most popular way to make digital payments. Earlier, it could only be linked with savings or current accounts. But now, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed users to link their credit cards to UPI—starting with RuPay credit cards. This change brings together the ease of UPI with the power of credit cards, offering more flexibility and rewards to users. Use Credit with UPI’s Simplicity When you link your RuPay credit card with a UPI app (like PhonePe, Paytm, Google Pay, or BHIM), you can make payments just by…
Meerut : Bharti Airtel has announced new plans to its IR portfolio that will make it simpler, more affordable and completely hassle-free for customers. The company has unveiled India’s first unlimited* IR plans that offers unlimited data across 189 countries. Additionally, for the long-staying NRI community, Airtel also launched a unique recharge plan for Rs. 4000 with one-year validity. The plan offers 5GB data and 100 voice minutes for use when abroad, while in India customers can use the same plan and get 1.5GB daily data and unlimited call benefits. The plan gives customers a hassle-free connectivity experience anywhere across…
Finance Desk – From April 22, 2025, if you buy luxury items worth more than ₹10 lakh, you’ll need to pay an extra 1% as Tax Collected at Source (TCS). This rule was announced in Budget 2025 and is now officially in effect. What Items Will This Tax Apply To? If the item costs more than ₹10 lakh, 1% TCS will be added on things like: Luxury watches Expensive art, antiques, and collectibles High-end bags, sunglasses, shoes Luxury vehicles like yachts, boats, and helicopters Premium sports gear (golf kits, ski-wear) Home theatre systems Racing or polo horses Basically, if it’s…
Finance Desk – Akshaya Tritiya is a lucky day in India to buy gold. It’s believed to bring good luck and wealth. Many people buy gold coins or bars on this day—but before you buy, there’s one thing you should know: the difference between 999 and 995 gold. What Is 999 and 995 Gold? When you see 999 or 995 marked on gold, it shows how pure the gold is: 999 = 99.9% pure gold 995 = 99.5% pure gold Both are called 24K gold, but 999 is just a little purer than 995. This difference comes from tiny natural…
Meerut : Following the launch of its AI powered spam detection tool that flagged over 27.5 Billion calls as SPAM to its customers, Airtel today announced the introduction of two significant enhancements aimed at staying ahead of spammers. Commenting on the initiative, Siddharth Sharma, Director Marketing and CEO Connected Homes, Bharti Airtel, said: “Customers and their feedback are at the heart of everything we do. After carefully analysing customer feedback, we have enhanced our solutions to better serve the linguistic diversity of India. Additionally, with the growing volume of SPAM traffic shifting to foreign networks, we have decided to expand…
New Delhi, Apr 16, 2025: India’s leading Natural & Ayurvedic Healthcare Company Dabur India Ltd today announced the successful revival of an old, neglected community pond in village Narangpur of Baddi (Himachal Pradesh). The restored water body, with a capacity to collect and harvest over 16,800 KL of rainwater, is the 20th water body to be revived by Dabur and marks a significant step forward in Dabur’s mission to become a Water Positive Organization by 2030. The revamped Narangpur pond was handed over to the local community by Dabur India Limited Chairman Mr. Mohit Burman, in the presence of the Dabur…
Enables swift and secure activation through self- KYC process from the comfort of customer’s homes Meerut : In a pioneering move, Bharti Airtel, today, announced its partnership with the quick commerce platform, Blinkit, for the delivery of SIM cards to its customers within ten minutes. A first-of-its-kind service by a telco, the services are now live in 16 cities in the country, with plans to add more cities and towns over a period of time. This collaboration marks a significant milestone enabling, as it does, customers to receive SIM cards at their doorstep in a minimal 10 minutes at a nominal…