Event: Global Fintech Fest 2025 (GFF 2025)Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra Key Highlights:

Context: Proposed Changes: Financial & Operational Considerations: Aspect Details / Observations Stock Performance – Up 40% in 2025.- CAGR since IPO (₹755 in March 2020 → ₹921.75) remains below 5%.– Volatility driven partly by high bad debts. Credit Costs – Gross credit cost: 6.7% (Q2 FY24) → 9.6% (Q1 FY26), except Q4 FY25.– Net credit cost: 5.5% → 8.5% sequentially.– Recoveries from past dues remain weak. Preventive Measures – Capping credit limits for existing customers.– Ensuring high quality of new card applicants.– Goal: Reduce delinquencies amid elevated household debt and leverage. Capital Adequacy – CRAR: 20.6% (Q1 FY25) → 23.2% (Q1 FY26).- Well above RBI’s minimum requirement of 15%, indicating capital is not a growth constraint.

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently introduced measures to simplify foreign exchange management and promote the use of the Indian Rupee (INR) in international trade, targeting exporters, importers, and merchant traders. Key Measures: Merchanting Trade Transactions (MTT) and Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVA) updates by RBI (2025): Aspect MTT (Merchanting Trade Transactions) SRVA (Special Rupee Vostro Accounts) Definition International trade where an Indian merchant buys goods from one foreign country and sells to another, without goods entering India physically. Accounts held by foreign partner banks in India in INR, used to settle trade in Indian Rupees. Earlier Rule – Transaction had to be completed within 9 months.– Foreign exchange outlay restricted to 4 months. – Surplus balances could only be invested in government treasury bills or securities. RBI 2025 Update – Foreign exchange outlay extended to 6 months, giving more operational flexibility for merchant traders. – Surplus balances can now also be invested in: • Non-convertible debentures (NCDs) • Corporate bonds • Commercial papers of Indian companies- Must follow existing investment guidelines and limits.

Source: BS Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced new guidelines allowing fully licensed payment aggregators (PAs) to expand into new segments, such as cross-border (CB) payments, with significantly streamlined approval processes. Key Changes:

Source: BS Context: The Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has directed all insurers, reinsurers, and distributing channels to establish a comprehensive fraud risk management framework. This comes in response to rising instances of insurance and cyber frauds. The guidelines are set to take effect from April 1, 2026. Key Requirements for Insurers:

Source: BS Context: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), which manages the retirement savings of India’s formal workforce, is considering separate benchmarks for its three social security schemes: This comes after a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) suggestion to the Labour and Employment Ministry to review EPFO’s current approach of pooling all three schemes’ corpus (~₹25 trillion) with a common investment strategy, despite differing actuarial liabilities. Current Investment Pattern: Performance is currently assessed by Crisil, benchmarking debt portfolios to bond yields and equity portfolios to indices like BSE Sensex and Nifty 50. Proposed Changes: Benefits: Additional Initiative – Doorstep Delivery of Digital Life Certificates (DLCs):

Source: ET Context: In a first-of-its-kind formal meeting, 14 foreign bank CEOs met RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra to provide feedback on operational challenges and suggest measures to ease business in India. The recommendations focus on risk weights, priority sector lending, and on-lending norms. Key Recommendations: Foreign Banks Regulatory Framework

Source: ET Context: Banks in India have requested the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to allow exemption from sending SMS alerts for low-value transactions (below ₹100), citing growing digital transaction volumes and customer notification fatigue. Key Highlights:

Source: ET Context: The Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 (BMA), one of India’s strictest tax laws, is under review by an internal government committee. The panel will examine challenges in enforcement, conflicts with the Income Tax Act, and explore ways to handle undisclosed foreign assets more effectively. Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 (BMA) Objective: Key Features: Aspect Details Scope Applies to income or assets held outside India by:- Indian residents- Citizens of India- Entities controlled by Indian residents Taxation Undisclosed foreign income/assets taxed at 30% plus applicable surcharge and cess.Additional penalties and prosecution may apply in serious cases. Penalty Penalty can be equal to tax payable on undisclosed foreign income/assets.Additional penalties may apply for concealment or failure to report. Voluntary Disclosure / Compliance Government provides Voluntary Disclosure Schemes (VDS) periodically:- Allows taxpayers to disclose undisclosed foreign income/assets- Pay tax and penalty- Avoid prosecution Prosecution Willful concealment or misreporting is a criminal offense:- Imprisonment: 3 to 10 years- Fines: As per the Act Reporting Requirements Individuals and entities must report foreign income and assets in annual income tax returns.Compliance is strictly enforced with cross-checking of foreign data. Controversial Provisions: