Banking Awareness of 7, 8, 9 and 10 November 2025

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

1. ReNew Energy Global has obtained a $477 million financing package from Asian Development Bank (ADB).

• The $477 million package will support the development of a major clean energy project in Andhra Pradesh.
• Of the $477 million total package, $331 million will be directly provided by ADB.
• ADB will arrange for the remaining amount of $146 million through other lenders.
• The project will include 837 Megawatt-peak (MWp) of wind and solar generation with a 415  megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system.
• This hybrid project will boost grid reliability and support India’s shift toward a low-carbon energy system.
• ADB’s $331 million contribution includes up to $291 million in local currency from its own resources.
• It also includes up to $40 million from Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund 2 (LEAP 2) fund managed by ADB.
• In April 2025, plans to invest $2.5 billion in a 2.8 GW wind-solar-storage complex in Andhra Pradesh were announced by ReNew.
• ReNew Energy is an Indian renewable energy company. It is first Indian renewable energy company to be listed on NASDAQ. It was formerly called ReNew Power.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

2. Paytm’s parent company has introduced a new feature that allows users to convert loyalty points into digital gold.

• One97 Communications is Paytm's parent company.
• The fintech firm has also launched an upgraded version of its travel platform.
• This upgraded version have an AI-powered in-app assistant also, which helps with conversational booking and travel planning.
• The AI assistant can suggest destinations and manage reservations for flights, trains, buses, and metro services.
• This offers a single, unified travel experience for users.
• Founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma said users will get gold coins for peer-to-peer transfers also. They can convert these coins into digital gold after users cross a defined threshold.
• Users can convert loyalty points for digital gold once the value reaches ₹15.
• As per Paytm Senior Vice-President Yugal Tiwari customers earn one gold point for every ₹100 spent on the platform.
• Customrs will earn double points for payments made with Rupay cards.
• One hundred gold coins are equal to ₹1 worth of digital gold. Users are be able redeem this directly via the Paytm app.

Topic: Indian Economy/Financial Market

3. Finance Ministry has kept the existing transfer pricing tolerance band unchanged for the assessment year 2025-26.

• This move aims to ensure policy continuity and simplify compliance for companies involved in cross-border and specified domestic transactions.
• The tolerance limits for arm’s length pricing remain at 1% for wholesale traders and 3% for other taxpayers.
• Transactions within these ranges are considered compliant.
• Wholesale trading is defined as transactions where finished goods cost at least 80 percent of total trading costs.
• The average monthly closing inventory must not exceed 10 percent of related sales.
• Section 92C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, governs arm’s length pricing.
• Central Board of Direct Taxes annually notifies the applicable tolerance range.
• Deviations within this band from the arm’s length price are deemed acceptable.
• The tolerance band helps in preparing annual transfer pricing documentation.
• Maintaining the tolerance range reassures businesses that transactions within the prescribed variation are at arm’s length.
• In arm’s length pricing, parties of a transaction are independent and on an equal footing.

Topic: Banking System

4. Bank of Maharashtra has empaneled Bartronics India as a Corporate Business Correspondent (CBC) vendor for a five-year term.

• Bartronics currently operates CBC services in 1,800 villages and its services reach over 15 million people.
• As part of the agreement, Bartronics aims to increase its network to 3,000 banking touchpoints within 6–9 months.
• During the expansion, focus  will be on Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka.
• 1,200 new Customer Service Points will be added during the expansion.
• There are projections that It will generate an additional ₹50 crore in revenue over five years.
• Because of this initiative, employment will be created for 1,200 local CSP agents.
• Asa result, rural entrepreneurship will be promoted and on-ground banking services will be enhanced.

Topic: RBI

5. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra highlighted the strength of India's banking system.

• India’s banking system was highlighted as stronger and more stable by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra during the 12th SBI Banking and Economics Conclave in Mumbai.
• It was stated that financial stability remains the cornerstone of the Reserve Bank of India’s policies.
• He emphasised that improvements in capital adequacy, asset quality, and profitability have reinforced the overall health of the banking sector.
• The capital-to-risk weighted assets ratio increased from 13.5% in 2015 to 17.5%, indicating enhanced financial resilience in banks.
• Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) declined sharply from over 11% in 2018 to 2.3%.
• India has recorded robust capital inflows, with net inflows of 30.4 billion USD between April and July this year.
• He noted that Indian banks today are far more mature and professionally managed in comparison to a decade ago.
• The Governor highlighted SBI’s transformation from a loss-making entity in 2018 to becoming a 100-billion-dollar company at present.
• The RBI Governor highlighted key regulatory measures like the 2015 Asset Quality Review (AQR), the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework, consolidation of 27 PSBs, massive recapitalisation, and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
• These initiatives have fundamentally transformed India’s credit culture.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. The Confederation of Indian Industry will organize a two-day Global Media and Entertainment Investor Meet in Mumbai.

• Global Media and Entertainment Investor Meet will begin on December 1.
• Global Media and Entertainment Investor Meet is being held in partnership with WAVES Bazaar. It is part of the 12th CII BIG Picture Summit.
• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is supporting Global Media and Entertainment Investor Meet.
• The main goal of meet is to attract investment and boost growth in India’s media and entertainment sector.
• "The AI Era: Bridging Creativity and Commerce" is the theme of summit.
• Government officials, industry leaders, and investors will participate to design a roadmap for the future of Media and Entertainment sector.
• The discussions will cover film, digital streaming, gaming, animation, VFX, and live entertainment.
• The CII BIG Picture Summit is India’s top platform for policy dialogue, promoting innovation exchange and investment opportunities in media and entertainment.

Topic: Indian Economy/Financial Market

7. India’s total foreign exchange reserves fell by 5.6 billion USD.

• India’s total foreign exchange reserves reached at 690 billion USD for the week ending October 31.
• The decline in India’s total foreign exchange reserves was chiefly due to a large decline in gold reserves.
• Gold reserves contracted by 3.8 billion USD and stood at 101.7 billion USD.
• Foreign currency assets form the largest component of the reserves.
• Foreign currency assets declined by nearly 2 billion USD to around 564.5 billion USD during the week.
• This decline was partly caused by currency value changes involving the euro, pound, and yen.
• Special Drawing Rights saw a small decline of 19 million USD, and reached 18.64 billion USD.
• India’s IMF reserve position increased slightly by 164 million USD to 4.77 billion USD during the same week.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

8. A commemorative coin of ₹50 released to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of NHPC Limited.

• On 6th November, a ₹50 commemorative coin was released by Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal in New Delhi.
• The release marks 50 years of NHPC Limited, India’s Premier Hydropower Navratna Company
• NHPC completed 50 years of establishment on 7 November 2025.
• A special comic book, “Chhota Bheem aur Bada Bandh”, was also launched to promote awareness of hydropower among students.
• The coin acknowledges NHPC’s contribution to India’s energy self-reliance.
• NHPC has implemented major hydropower projects in challenging regions of the country.
• The company has now diversified into solar, wind and green hydrogen, reinforcing its status as a 100% green energy company.
• NHPC operates 30 power stations with 8333 MW installed capacity and 14 projects (9704 MW) under construction.
• NHPC Limited was incorporated on November 7, 1975, as the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Private Limited.