Fino’s small fin bank plan: Secured loans

MUMBAI: Fino Payments Bank plans to hive off its business correspondent (BC) arm and expand secured lending through its merchant network once it transitions into a small finance bank, its MD & CEO Rishi Gupta said.Fino received in-principle approval from RBI in early Dec 2025 to convert into a small finance bank, a move that…

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Indian equities outlook: ICICI Prudential flags stable macro backdrop; warns valuations already price in optimism

The broader macro backdrop for Indian equities remains stable heading into 2026, supported by healthier corporate balance sheets and early signs of an earnings recovery across sectors, according to ICICI Prudential Alternate Investments. However, after a long market upcycle and widespread rerating, much of the optimism on growth and profits is already reflected in stock…

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India-EU FTA talks: Piyush Goyal to visit Brussels this week; talks enter final phase

File photo: Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal (Picture credit: PTI) Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal will travel to Brussels this week for high-level discussions with the European Union on the long-pending India-EU free trade agreement, with negotiations now in their final and most challenging phase.According to an official, Goyal will be…

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Venezuela oil plan: Donald Trump’s takeover idea unlikely to shift global prices soon; analysts flag hurdles

File photo: US President Donald Trump (Picture credit: AP) US President Donald Trump’s idea of taking control of Venezuela’s oil industry and inviting US companies to rebuild it after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro is unlikely to move global oil prices in the near term, analysts say.As per news agency AP, Venezuela’s oil sector…

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Gold, silver outlook: Bullion set for volatile week amid US data, Venezuela crisis; analysts warn of swings

Gold and silver prices are expected to remain highly volatile in the coming week as investors react to key US economic data and rising geopolitical tensions following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces, analysts said.Market participants will closely track a series of important US indicators, including ISM Manufacturing data, December ADP…

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Rice production milestone! India overtakes China as top global producer; output hits 150.18 million tonnes

India has emerged as the world’s largest rice producer, surpassing China with an output of 150.18 million tonnes, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday.The announcement came as the minister released 184 new varieties of 25 crops developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at an event in the national capital.Addressing…

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