Mumbai, 17 July 2026: Building on the encouraging response to its inaugural edition, FinX has today announced the launch of Season 2 of the Franklin Templeton National Mutual Fund Olympiad (FTNMFO) 2026, Knowledge Partner Groww. The initiative is supported by BFSI Sector Skill Council of India & FPA Edutech.  Registrations are now open, inviting undergraduate and postgraduate students across all academic streams from colleges Pan India. Its inaugural edition attracted over 10,000 students from more than 400 colleges across the country, establishing itself as one of India’s largest student-focused financial literacy initiatives and a credible platform for advancing investment awareness among young learners.

Building on the momentum of its first edition, Season 2 aims to significantly expand its reach by engaging 50,000 students from 1,000 colleges nationwide. Students of the empaneled colleges can register through the registration portal. Through a structured, multi-level competition, participants will be assessed on their understanding of investment fundamentals, mutual fund products, financial planning, wealth creation, market concepts and emerging investment avenues.

The second edition has already garnered participation from several of India’s premier educational institutions, including the IIM Bangalore, IIM Indore, IIM Vizag, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Dhanbad, VIT Vellore, IIFT Kolkata, Delhi Technological University (DTU), BITS Goa, Christ University, Lady Shri Ram College (Delhi University), among others. Their participation reflects the growing recognition of the Olympiad as a credible national platform for advancing financial literacy and investment education among students.

Powered by the FinX ecosystem, the Olympiad is being delivered as an end-to-end, technology-enabled learning experience. From participant registrations and assessments to analytics, and engagement, FinX seamlessly orchestrates every stage of the initiative, enabling the delivery of a national-scale financial education programme with efficiency and impact.

Speaking on the launch of the second edition, Mr. Avinash Satwalekar (President, Franklin Templeton Asset Management (India) Pvt.) said, “The enthusiastic response to the inaugural Franklin Templeton National Mutual Fund Olympiad reaffirmed the growing interest among young Indians to build practical financial knowledge beyond the classroom. At Franklin Templeton, we believe financial literacy is an essential life skill, and initiatives like the Olympiad help equip students with the confidence to make informed financial decisions while improving their understanding of the evolving investment landscape.”

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Himanshu Vyapak (MD & CEO, FinX) said, “The Franklin Templeton National Mutual Fund Olympiad has evolved into a unique platform that brings together academia and industry to make financial education more engaging, accessible and relevant for students. With Season 2, we aim to significantly expand our reach, deepen engagement across campuses and continue building a financially aware generation that is better prepared for the opportunities and responsibilities of India’s evolving financial ecosystem.”

Through the Olympiad, Franklin Templeton and FinX continue their shared commitment to advancing financial literacy and creating meaningful learning opportunities for India’s youth. By bringing together academic institutions and industry expertise, the initiative seeks to equip students with the knowledge, confidence and practical understanding needed to navigate an evolving financial ecosystem while building greater awareness of long-term investing and wealth creation.

Summit Equity Long-Short Fund is designed to capture both directional upside through long positions and tactical downside opportunities through short positions. The strategy reflects the core philosophy of Summit SIF: adapting to market conditions while seeking alpha.

This investment strategy will combine two distinct strategies to deliver an edge to the portfolio: A directional long strategy driven by a bottom-up stock selection process anchored in Invesco Asset Management (India)’s categorization framework; A Tactical short position via derivatives aimed at capturing downside opportunities in stocks expected to underperform. The investment strategy will be managed by Mr. Hiten Jain and will be benchmarked to BSE 500 TRI.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Saurabh Nanavati, MD & CEO, Invesco Asset Management (India) Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are at an inflection point in Indian asset management. The SIF category gives experienced investors access to a level of portfolio flexibility that was previously the preserve of institutional capital. Summit SIF is our commitment to bringing specialized investment thinking to India’s next generation of wealth builders.”

Mr. Hiten Jain, Fund Manager, Invesco Mutual Fund further said, “In today’s dynamic markets, alpha generation extends beyond simply riding the tide – it requires navigating both opportunity and risk. Conventional long-only funds can make money when stock prices go up. However, return generation within markets is inherently non-linear and characterized by periodic dislocations. Summit Equity Long-Short Fund is designed to capture both long and short opportunities enabling it to effectively capitalize on market volatility and evolving opportunities.”

The minimum investment amount during the NFO is ₹10,00,000/- and in multiples of ₹1/- thereafter. In case of Accredited investors, the minimum investment amount during the NFO is ₹1,00,000/- and in multiples of ₹1/- thereafter. For SIP investments, the minimum application amount is ₹1,000/- and in multiples of ₹1/- thereafter subject to maintaining investment threshold of ₹10,00,000 across all investment strategies of Summit SIF.

The investment strategy will charge an exit load of 0.50% for units redeemed / switched out on or before 3 months from the date of allotment. No exit load will be charged if units are redeemed / switched out after 3 months.

The New Fund Offer (NFO) is open for subscription from today (July 2, 2026) and will close on July 16, 2026.

SEBI Registered Name – Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund | SEBI Registered Number – MF/038/98/1

Hyderabad, July 8, 2026: Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Ltd. (“KMAMC” / “Kotak Mutual Fund”) is pleased to announce the launch of the Kotak Nifty Private Bank ETF, an open-ended scheme replicating/tracking the Nifty Private Bank Index. The scheme opens for public subscription on July 8, 2026, and will close on July 15, 2026. 

The Nifty Private Bank index tracks the performance of the leading 10 private sector banks which are selected from Nifty 500 universe based on their free-float market capitalisation. The index provides exposure to India’s leading private sector banks through a rule-based, transparent methodology. The index is rebalanced semi-annually.

Speaking on the launch Nilesh Shah, Managing Director, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Ltd. said, “At Kotak Mutual Fund, we remain committed to offering innovative investment solutions that align with the evolving need of investors. The Kotak Nifty Private Bank ETF provides investors with a simple and cost-efficient way to participate in the growth of India’s leading private sector banks. This ETF enables investors to gain diversified exposure to a key segment of financial sector through rule-based investment approach.” 

Satish Dondapatti, Fund Manager, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Ltd. added, “The Kotak Nifty Private Bank ETF is designed to replicate the performance of Nifty Private Bank Index by investing in its constituents in the same proportion, subject to tracking error. This ETF provides investors with a transparent, passive investment strategy to participate in the long-term growth potential of India’s private banking sector.” 

Past performance may or may not be sustained in future. For detailed index methodology kindly visit www.niftyindices.com. For more details on the Kotak Nifty Private Bank ETF please visit: https://www.kotakmf.com 

Investors are advised to consult their financial expert before making any investment decisions.

Mumbai, India | July 06, 2026: PSB Alliance Pvt. Ltd and Bank of India have signed an agreement for onboarding Bank of India as a lending partner on the PSB Xchange platform, India’s unified digital working capital finance platform.

Through this collaboration, Bank of India will offer supply chain finance to eligible borrowers associated with participating anchor corporates on the PSB Xchange platform. The partnership will enable digital onboarding, credit assessment and financing through a standardised process, helping Bank of India expand its digital supply chain finance reach while enabling faster access to institutional credit for MSMEs.

Building a Scalable, Multi-Participant Financing Ecosystem

PSB Xchange connects lenders, corporates and ecosystem partners through a unified platform. The onboarding of Bank of India strengthens the platform’s lender network and broadens the availability of institutional finance for dealer ecosystems across industries.

The shared infrastructure reduces the need for multiple point-to-point integrations and supports faster programme implementation and portfolio monitoring.

Driving Digital Adoption in Supply Chain Finance

By standardizing onboarding, documentation and programme execution, PSB Xchange enables lenders and corporates to implement dealer finance programmes more efficiently and extend formal credit to a wider base of MSMEs.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Vinayak Shukla, General Manager, Bank of India, said:  “Dealers and MSMEs are an integral part of India’s business and distribution ecosystem. Our participation on PSB Xchange will enable Bank of India to provide timely and digitally enabled working capital solutions to dealers associated with established corporate anchors. This collaboration is aligned with our focus on strengthening MSME financing and expanding access to formal institutional credit.” 

Anjali Mohanty, MD & CEO, PSB Alliance said: “The evolution of supply chain finance requires collaborative digital frameworks that can support growth across industries. Through PSB Xchange, we seek to enable such frameworks by bringing lenders, corporates and ecosystem partners onto a common platform. Bank of India’s onboarding further strengthens this network and broadens opportunities for MSMEs to access institutional finance.”

Raja Debnath, Managing Director, Veefin Group, said:  “Bank of India’s participation is an important milestone in strengthening the PSB Xchange ecosystem. By bringing the Bank’s lending capabilities onto a unified digital platform, we can enable corporate dealer networks to access institutional finance with greater speed and efficiency. This collaboration demonstrates how technology and the reach of public sector banks can work together to expand working capital access for MSMEs.”

Looking Ahead

The onboarding of Bank of India further strengthens PSB Xchange’s ability to support supply chain finance programs across industries. The platform will continue to expand its network of lenders, corporates and ecosystem partners to improve access to institutional working capital finance.

National, 2^nd July 2026: AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India’s largest Small Finance Bank and among the first in over a decade to receive in-principle approval for transition into a Universal Bank, has entered into a strategic partnership with Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) to launch an industry-first initiative, “Suhana Safar” – a Recurring Deposit (RD)-backed auto loan scheme designed to make car ownership more accessible for aspiring first-time buyers of the most popular models; Alto K10,
S-Presso, Celerio, and WagonR. 

Suhana Safar addresses one of the most common barriers to first-time car ownership – the challenge of mobilising a down payment and committing to an EMI, without prior financial readiness.

Under the scheme, a customer opens a Recurring Deposit (RD) account with AU SFB and deposits a fixed monthly amount – equivalent to the prospective car EMI, for a period of three to six months. The RD earns interest during this tenure, and on maturity, the accumulated amount is utilised as the down payment, following which the Bank sanctions and disburses the auto loan.

As a structured RD-backed solution, the scheme enables customers to build savings, earn interest, and assess their repayment comfort before availing the loan, thereby creating a seamless, end-to-end journey from disciplined saving to confident ownership within a single banking relationship.

The scheme creates a win–win proposition for both the customer and the Bank, as it enables the Bank to assess the customer’s creditworthiness at two stages – initially at enrolment and subsequently at the time of loan disbursement.

Currently, AU SFB offers RD interest rates ranging from 4.75% to 7.40% per annum for the general public, and 5.25% to 7.90% per annum for senior citizens.

India, 26 June, 2026: AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India’s largest Small Finance Bank and among the first in over a decade to receive in-principle approval to transition into a Universal Bank, has been recognised among the Top 10 – India’s Best Companies to Work For 2026 by Great Place to Work. This recognition represents the gold standard of workplace excellence, underscoring a strong culture anchored in Trust, Pride, and Camaraderie.

The recognition was received by Mr. Manoj Tibrewal, Group Head – HR, Infra, Admin & Marketing, at a recently held awards event.

Great Place To Work® is the global authority on workplace culture, backed by over 30 years of research and insights from more than 100 million employees across 170+ countries. Its rigorous and globally benchmarked methodology evaluates organisations on employee trust, leadership effectiveness and the overall workplace experience.

The assessment is based on the Trust Index Survey (75% weightage) – which captures anonymous employee feedback on credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie – and the Culture Audit (25%), which evaluates leadership philosophy, values and people practices. The certification reflects AU SFB’s ability to foster a consistent and inclusive work environment where employees feel empowered, valued and engaged.

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Sanjay Agarwal, Founder, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank said, “At AU Small Finance Bank, our people are at the core of everything we do. This recognition reinforces our belief in building a culture rooted in trust, inclusivity and purpose – where every employee is empowered to perform, grow and contribute meaningfully. As we continue our journey towards becoming a Universal Bank, we remain committed to strengthening our people practices and enhancing employee experience at every touchpoint.”

Over the years, AU SFB has consistently been recognised for its people-first philosophy, underpinned by strong values, inclusive leadership and a robust employee engagement framework. With a workforce of over 59,000+ employees serving more than 1.2 crore customers across India, the Bank continues to invest in initiatives that enable growth, well-being and long-term career development.

Fathers are the most consistently present people in our lives. And the most consistently invisible. They don’t announce what they do. They don’t ask to be noticed. They just show up. Every day. For decades. Quietly building a life for their families without ever stepping into the foreground.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the family photo album. Flip through any of them and you will find decades of birthdays, holidays, and ordinary afternoons. But barely a single photograph with the father in it.

This is the insight at the heart of Fathers In Focus. A father’s love, the campaign observes, works exactly like a SIP. Small, steady, unannounced contributions, compounding silently over decades, working in the background, never in the foreground. The family photo album is perhaps the most honest proof of that — built entirely by him, without him ever being in it.

The campaign launches with a film and is anchored by a digital platform at www.hdfcfund.com/fathers-in-focus, which offers people carefully crafted prompts that they can take to any AI platform of their choice to recreate old family photographs with their fathers finally in the frame. At a time when AI is predominantly being used to churn out meaningless brainrot content, Fathers In Focus asks people to use it for something more personal, something more meaningful.

“Every cultural movement and social trend finds its reflection in the smallest things. We chanced upon one such small thing — the family album. Looking at these albums, we realised that our fathers have spent decades behind the camera taking all the pictures while rarely featuring in them. And this became the core of our campaign. With Fathers In Focus, we are celebrating them by not only bringing this truth to life but also giving people a chance to alter it. In today’s age, where AI is used to manufacture moments that never happened, we wanted to use it to restore the ones that did.” — Srijan and Pradyot, Co-Founders and Creatives, Colloquial

Fathers In Focus is a reminder that the most powerful ideas are often hiding in plain sight. In the everyday moments, the unnoticed habits, the quiet presences that shape our lives without ever asking to be seen. For Colloquial, it’s important to find these truths and give them the platform they deserve. Ideas that don’t just communicate a brand’s message, but reflect something real about the people they are speaking to.

As part of its CSR efforts, IIFL Home Finance collaborates with Salaam Baalak Trust to strengthen its flagship School on Wheels programme in Delhi. The company formally handed over a fully equipped mobile education bus at Salaam Baalak Trust’s Tis Hazari Centre. The new bus will serve children across underserved communities within East Delhi, bringing education, digital learning, and developmental opportunities directly to their doorsteps.

The AC bus features digital learning facilities, internet connectivity, creating a more conducive and engaging learning environment for children. The initiative is expected to directly benefit more than 600 children and their families through improved educational access and community outreach.

Building on its commitment to inclusive development, IIFL Home Finance also partnered with Swayam Siddha Industrial Co-operative Society for the Handicapped Ltd. to improve mobility and accessibility for persons with disabilities in Mumbai. The company facilitated the launch of a wheelchair-accessible Tata Magic vehicle along with two EV scooters at Swayam Siddha’s Rabale Centre in Navi Mumbai.

The vehicles have been provided to support beneficiaries in accessing skill development centers, employment opportunities, and essential services. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to strengthen infrastructure and create more inclusive environments for persons with disabilities.

Speaking on the initiatives, Mrs. Aarti Marwaha Upadhyay, Chief Human Resource Officer, IIFL Home Finance, said, “Inclusion is not a programme for us, it is a conviction. When a child in East Delhi steps onto a mobile classroom, or a person with disability in Mumbai can independently access a skill centre or a job, something fundamental changes in their world. Our partnerships with Salaam Baalak Trust and Swayam Siddha are rooted in that belief that finance can be a force for equity, and that the communities we serve deserve more than access to housing alone.”

These initiatives collectively demonstrate IIFL Home Finance’s focus on empowering vulnerable sections of society through targeted interventions in education, accessibility, skill development, and community welfare. By partnering with credible grassroots organizations, the company continues to create sustainable impact and contribute towards inclusive social development.

Founded in 2022 by Rajashree Nambiar and Govind Sankaranarayanan, and backed by Eversource Capital, British International Investment, FMO and Finnfund, Ecofy is India’s leading retail-focused climate financing platform. In just three years, the company has scaled to serve over 130,000 customers, with a strong pan-India presence across 26 states and more than 500 cities.

Ecofy, India’s first green-only NBFC will deploy the loan proceeds to support onward lending, financing residential and commercial & industrial (C&I) rooftop solar installations, as well as electric mobility solutions across India. The transaction aims to accelerate the deployment of clean energy and low-carbon technologies while contributing to economic development.

The transaction marks Mirova’s fourth investment in India as part of its dedicated energy transition strategy in emerging markets, underscoring its long-term commitment to supporting the country’s low-carbon transition. This investment contributes to three of Mirova’s four key impact areas:

·         Climate action (SDG 13), through the financing of solar photovoltaic generation and electric mobility;

·         Affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), by supporting the expansion of distributed renewable energy; and

·         Decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), by enabling access to finance for households and enterprises. 

Vivek Khandelwal, Head Treasury, Ecofy said: “This partnership with Mirova marks another significant milestone in Ecofy’s journey to scale green financing. Access to long-term, mission-aligned capital strengthens our ability to reach households and small businesses for their rooftop solar and electric mobility solutions. We remain focused on building a robust, accessible financing ecosystem for India’s green transition.”

Priyanka Mehrotra, Investment Director, Mirova Division of Natixis Investment Managers Singapore Limited[2], added: “Financing the energy transition in emerging markets requires solutions that can combine scale, local reach and measurable impact. By supporting Ecofy, we are backing a platform that is already demonstrating its ability to deploy capital efficiently on the ground, accelerating access to clean energy and electric mobility while supporting inclusive economic growth in India.”

·        The CS exclusive banking programme offers, priority services and tailored financial solutions
for India’s Corporate Governance Professionals

Hyderabad, April 20, 2026: On the occasion of its 31st Foundation Day, AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India’s largest Small Finance Bank and the first in over a decade to receive in‑principle approval to transition into a Universal Bank, today announced the launch of the AU Royale Banking Programme for Company Secretaries, a structured, secure and profession‑centric premium banking ecosystem designed exclusively for Company Secretaries (CS), the custodians of corporate governance and compliance in India.

Built around the distinct professional responsibilities, financial behaviour and governance‑led mindset of Company Secretaries, the AU Royale Programme brings together specialised Current and Savings Account offerings, a profession‑linked premium credit card, and complementary credit solutions, supported by priority servicing and a relationship‑led banking approach. The programme enables CS professionals to manage both their professional and personal financial needs with greater confidence, transparency and convenience.

The launch follows an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in January 2026 between AU Small Finance Bank and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), under which the Bank offers a specially curated suite of banking and credit solutions tailored for Company Secretaries across the country.

Banking Designed Around the CS Profession

Company Secretaries play a central role in ensuring compliance with the Companies Act, SEBI regulations, board governance, disclosures, ESG frameworks and stakeholder accountability. With over 75,000 Company Secretaries in India today, expected to reach one lakh by 2030, the profession represents a high‑trust, high‑responsibility and strategically important segment, yet one that has historically lacked banking solutions designed around its unique professional needs.

Recognising this gap, AU SFB has designed the AU Royale Programme not merely as a premium banking offering, but as a profession‑aligned financial ecosystem.

Key Features:

Royale Business – Current Account

• No minimum balance requirement
• Option to choose a CS membership‑linked personalised account number
• Preferential pricing on professional and business loans
• Exclusive discounts on compliance and corporate governance tools

Royale Savings Account

• No minimum balance requirement
• Higher monthly interest payout
• Premium CS / ICSI branding debit card
• Zero annual maintenance charges on Demat account
• Family Banking facility for up to five members
• Low cross‑currency markup on international spends

AU CS Credit Card: Profession‑First Value Proposition

The AU CS Credit Card offers a strong blend of profession‑linked and lifestyle benefits, designed around the spending patterns of Company Secretaries. Business‑focused benefits include a 25% discount on annual ICSI membership renewal and 8X reward points on tax payments and software purchases, addressing high‑frequency professional expenses. Complementing this are lifestyle privileges such as 8X reward points on travel and dining spends, eight complimentary domestic airport lounge visits each year, and a 1% fuel surcharge waiver.

The credit card is Lifetime Free, with zero joining and annual fees, a low forex markup of 1.99%, zero processing fees on EMI conversions and a competitive APR. Card controls and spend management are fully digital via the AU 0101 mobile app.

Complementary Personal Loan Offering

The AU Royale Programme also includes a fast, collateral‑free AU Personal Loan offering for eligible Company Secretaries, with loan amounts of up to ₹15 lakh, minimal documentation, quick disbursal, competitive interest rates starting from 12% and a 50% discount on processing fees. Together, the programme delivers a holistic banking ecosystem that addresses the professional, personal, family and lifestyle banking needs of Company Secretaries.

Premium Identity & Experience

The AU Royale Programme features a distinct premium visual identity, including customised debit cards, welcome kits and exclusive onboarding communication, reflecting the stature and responsibility associated with the CS profession. Dedicated relationship management, branch‑level engagement and specialised support ensure a seamless, stress‑free banking experience aligned with the demanding schedules and compliance‑driven responsibilities of these professionals.

Commenting on the launch, Uttam Tibrewal, Deputy CEO, AU Small Finance Bank, said, “Company Secretaries are central to preserving institutional trust, governance integrity and regulatory discipline in corporate India. Following our exclusive partnership with ICSI, the AU Royale Banking Programme reflects our commitment to support CS professionals through a secure, transparent and relationship‑led banking ecosystem aligned with their professional responsibilities and evolving needs.”

Pawan G Chandak, President, ICSI, said, “Company Secretaries play a pivotal role in strengthening India’s corporate governance and compliance framework. This collaboration with AU Small Finance Bank is a significant step towards empowering Company Secretaries with professional aligned banking solutions to support their critical role and evolving professional needs.”