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Mayuresh Joshi from Marketsmith India suggests that despite global challenges like Trump s tariffs, Indian markets are responding maturely. He emphasizes the strength of domestic flows and the importance of long-term systematic investments. Joshi is optimistic about consumption-driven sectors, financials, and agrochemicals, while remaining cautious on IT due to global competition and the need for reinvention.

AU Small Finance Bank is set to become a universal bank, pending promoter Sanjay Agarwal s transfer of his 22% stake to a holding company within 18 months. This transition, a condition for the license, allows Agarwal to explore other financial services. The bank aims to reduce geographic concentration and focus on retail loans, leveraging its strengths in the NBFC space.

India s foreign exchange reserves experienced a significant $9.3 billion drop in the week ending August 1, 2025, marking the sharpest decline of the year. This fall is attributed to the Reserve Bank of India s likely intervention to stabilize the rupee amidst escalating trade tensions with the US, triggered by tariff impositions and outflows from equity markets.

ICICI Bank has significantly increased its minimum balance requirements for savings accounts, particularly in metro and urban areas, signaling a strategic shift towards attracting affluent customers.

Sebi chief Tuhin Kanta Pandey spoke about redefining independent directors roles. He addressed the 2025 Annual Directors Conclave. Pandey emphasized that independent directors should be stewards of accountability. He urged them to freely dissent and question information. He highlighted the importance of diverse views for a stronger board.

Bank credit growth has slowed to 1.4% in FY26 so far, compared to 2.3% last year, while deposit growth remains steady at 3.4%. Corporate credit demand is lower as companies explore market instruments. Despite rate cuts, housing loan demand hasn t surged as expected, but overall financial resources to the commercial sector have increased.

Life insurers in India experienced a significant surge in premium income. The premium income rose by 22.4% in July 2025, reaching ₹38,958 crore. Both private and state-run Life Insurance Corporation contributed to this growth. Individual single premiums and non-single premiums also saw increases. The industry added a substantial number of new agents.

Axis Max Life anticipates a smooth merger with Max Financial Services, pending parliamentary approval of the insurance bill. The amendment to the Insurance Act will explicitly permit mergers between insurance and non-insurance entities, addressing a current legal ambiguity. Regulatory clearance, following the NCLT-led process, is expected to take 8 to 12 months after the bill s enactment.

Donald Trump has refused trade talks with India until tariff issues are settled. This follows the US raising tariffs on Indian imports to 50%. The US trade negotiators are still expected to visit New Delhi later this month for trade agreement talks. An Indian official confirmed that the visit is still on schedule.

With the rise of AI and data security concerns, venture capital funds are increasingly relying on cybersecurity specialists to evaluate potential investments. The complex and technical nature of the sector demands domain expertise beyond general technology knowledge. Funds are either building dedicated teams or bringing in specialists to assess opportunities in this rapidly growing field.