This move addresses the rising concerns over online payment fraud and counterfeit banking websites by providing a verified digital identity for Indian banks. Customers will find it easier to distinguish genuine bank portals from fake ones. The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) will serve as the sole registrar for the domain, under the approval of NIXI and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Here are the new official bank URLs after the RBI mandate:

ICICI Bank: https://www.icici.bank.in/,

HDFC Bank: https://www.hdfc.bank.in/,

Axis Bank: https://www.axis.bank.in/,

Kotak Mahindra Bank: https://www.kotak.bank.in/en/home.html

All existing services remain accessible, and old website links will automatically redirect to these new domain addresses.

Cybersecurity experts have advised users to always check that banking URLs end with “.bank.in” before logging in.

They also recommend avoiding search engine results or forwarded links to access banking portals and bookmarking the new official URLs to avoid phishing risks.

This domain migration is expected to greatly enhance digital banking security and authenticity in India.

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Mr. Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman, Signature Global (India) Ltd., said, “We welcome the RBI’s decision to maintain the repo rate at 5.50%, as it brings stability and continuity to India’s financial ecosystem amid global uncertainties. The move is expected to sustain positive momentum across sectors, including real estate, by supporting liquidity, boosting consumer confidence, and encouraging investment activity.”

Mr. Jash Panchamia, Executive Director, Jaypee Infratech Limited, said, “The RBI’s decision to keep the repo rate unchanged reflects a steady and supportive approach to maintaining economic stability, with inflation under control. Following earlier reductions, the current stance provides stability to the housing market, allowing homebuyers and long-term investors to plan confidently.”

“For developers, consistent interest rates allow for careful planning and execution of projects. Coupled with attractive offerings and well-designed homes, demand remains robust across segments,” he added.

Mr. Ashok Kapur, Chairman, Krishna Group and Krisumi Corporation, said, “The RBI’s decision to maintain the repo rate at 5.50% reflects a cautious and prudent approach to balancing the twin objectives of economic growth and inflation management. While a rate cut at this juncture would have provided an additional boost to housing demand and overall market activity, the real estate sector continues to benefit from earlier reductions and existing lending rate adjustments by commercial banks.”

Mr. Vikas Bhasin, Managing Director, Saya Group, said, “The RBI’s decision to maintain status quo on policy rates is a welcome and expected move. This year, we have already witnessed significant support from the government—starting with consecutive policy rate cuts, followed by tax-saving measures in Budget 2025, and most recently, the rationalization of GST. Collectively, these initiatives have strengthened household savings and boosted the confidence of homebuyers.”

Mr. Raoul Kapoor, Co CEO, Andromeda Sales and Distribution, said, “The RBI’s decision to maintain status quo on policy rates comes in line with market expectations. As the RBI Governor highlighted, prevailing uncertainties around global trade tariffs and geo-political issues leave little room for further rate cuts at this stage.”

“To put this into perspective, a 100-bps cut reduces the EMI on a ₹1 lakh loan with a 20-year tenure by approximately ₹65 per lakh—translating into savings of nearly ₹1625 and ₹3250 respectively for loans of ₹25 lakh and ₹50 lakh.

When combined with additional savings from the revised income tax slabs and lower GST on key goods and services, household purchasing power has improved considerably. This creates a strong environment for credit demand to rise. As we move into the festive season, we expect to see a significant boost in borrowing across categories—ranging from consumer loans to housing finance—driven by improved affordability, policy support, and stronger consumer sentiment,” he explained.

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The directions, issued under the Authentication Mechanisms for Digital Payment Transactions, 2025, require every payment to be verified through at least two distinct factors — knowledge (PIN, password), possession (device token), or inherence (biometric). For card-not-present and online transactions, one factor will need to be dynamic and unique to each transaction, a move aimed at curbing fraud.

Unlike earlier blanket rules, the central bank has allowed issuers to adopt a risk-based approach. This means additional checks such as biometrics or contextual verification can be triggered for high-value or high-risk payments, while smaller, low-risk transactions can remain seamless.

The guidelines also bring cross-border, card-not-present transactions under their ambit from October 1, 2026. While SMS OTPs will continue, they cannot be the only layer of authentication. Exemptions have been carved out for small-value contactless payments, recurring transactions, NETC/Fastag, and offline digital modes.

Issuers will be responsible to safeguard customer interests and compensate for losses in cases of non-compliance. The directions also call for alignment with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), through its circular dated April 22, 2025, introduced the exclusive ‘.bank.in’ internet domain for Indian banks. This initiative is aimed at reducing cyber security threats, curbing fraudulent activities such as phishing, and reinforcing public confidence in digital banking and payment systems.

Accordingly, Bank of Baroda has successfully transitioned from its existing website domain www.bankofbaroda.in to the new and more secure https://bankofbaroda.bank.in

Customers are encouraged to use the updated website address to access all services and information. Branches and offices across the country have been advised to inform and guide customers regarding this change.

Speaking on the development, Mr. Sanjay Vinayak Mudaliar, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda, said, “Cybersecurity and customer trust remain at the heart of our digital banking services. The migration to the ‘.bank.in’ domain, as mandated by the RBI, is a step towards creating a safer and more reliable digital environment for our customers. We urge all our customers to update their records and use https://bankofbaroda.bank.in as the official website of Bank of Baroda.”

With this migration, Bank of Baroda reaffirms its commitment to providing customers with secure, seamless, and trustworthy digital banking experiences.

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Currently, CTS operates with a batch processing cycle of two working days, which can delay fund settlements and affect customer experience. To enhance efficiency, reduce settlement risks for banking participants, and improve customer services, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announced on Thursday (August 8) that the system will transition from batch processing to continuous clearing with ‘on-realisation-settlement.’

This move is part of RBI’s broader efforts to modernize and streamline payment systems, ensuring faster and more reliable banking transactions across the country. The implementation of continuous clearing is expected to significantly benefit customers, businesses, and banking institutions alike.

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“After a detailed assessment of the evolving macroeconomic and financial developments and the outlook, the MPC voted unanimously to keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 5.50 per cent,” RBI Governor Mr. Sanjay Malhotra said in today’s Monetary Policy Statement.

“The uncertainties of tariffs are still evolving. Monetary policy transmission is continuing. The impact of the 100 bps rate cut since February 2025 on the economy is still unfolding,” Mr. Malhotra added.

The real estate sector has welcomed the RBI’s decision to maintain the status quo on the repo rate, viewing it as a stabilizing move amid ongoing global and domestic uncertainties. Developers and homebuyers alike see this as a positive signal, as stable interest rates help sustain affordability and confidence in the housing market.

Mr. Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman, Signature Global (India) Ltd., said, “The RBI’s decision to maintain the repo rate at its current level reflects a steady approach to supporting economic recovery amid stable inflation. With borrowing costs significantly reduced following three consecutive rate cuts, the current policy stance ensures continued affordability, as rates remain at comfortable levels. This is expected to sustain consumer confidence and support ongoing momentum in key sectors, including real estate.

The unchanged policy stance is set to keep the real estate sector’s growth momentum on track. With steady interest rates and strong consumer confidence, developers are expected to meet the sustained demand for quality housing through greater focus on new offerings. This sustained activity will further strengthen the real estate sector’s contribution to GDP growth, job creation, and the expansion of urban infrastructure in the coming quarters.”

Mr. Ashok Kapur, Chairman, Krishna Group and Krisumi Corporation, said, “The RBI’s decision to keep the repo rate unchanged reflects a balanced approach amid ongoing global uncertainties. While a rate cut—as the real estate sector at large was hoping for—would have further accelerated the demand for homes across segments, borrowing costs continue to remain at relatively accommodative levels, supported by the cumulative 100 basis points reduction earlier this year. As a result, the growth of the housing market will likely continue on its upward trajectory.

With the festive season approaching, stable interest rates and the continued transmission of past rate cuts are expected to keep housing demand buoyant—particularly in the mid and premium segments. Backed by a positive buyer outlook and attractive developer offerings, market sentiment remains strong, and we anticipate steady sales momentum in the months ahead.”

Mr. Sushil Bedarwal, CMD, Bedarwal Group, said, “The RBI’s decision to pause the ongoing rate cut cycle is in line with the prevailing economic indicators and the current geopolitical environment. It is also important to note that the market is still in the process of fully absorbing the impact of the last three consecutive rate cuts, which together amounted to a significant 100 basis points reduction. The benefits of these cuts are expected to gradually reflect in improved credit offtake and increased consumer spending, particularly in the retail and housing sectors.

The encouraging news is that India’s economic growth continues to be resilient. If macroeconomic conditions remain stable and supportive, we anticipate the RBI may resume the rate cut cycle with a further reduction of 25–50 basis points during the remainder of this calendar year.”

Mr. Raoul Kapoor, Co-CEO, Andromeda Sales and Distribution Pvt Ltd, said, “As anticipated, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept the repo rate unchanged, despite favourable factors such as a good monsoon and inflation remaining well below the comfort level. The decision appears to be guided by ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and unresolved global tariff concerns.

However, the cumulative 100 basis points cut over the last three Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meetings has already reduced borrowing costs significantly. As noted by the RBI Governor, the full impact of these rate cuts is still unfolding, and we expect retail credit demand—particularly for home and personal loans—to gain further momentum in the coming months, driven by the upcoming festive season.

We believe this is not the end of the current rate cut cycle, and we anticipate further easing in the repo rate in subsequent MPC meetings, depending on evolving macroeconomic condition.”

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• The announcements were aimed at countering the fallout from the ongoing nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the economy into a standstill, hurt businesses and landed thousands jobless.

• In his first address to the media after the government detailed the fiscal and monetary stimulus worth Rs 20.97 lakh crore, Mr Das said economic is expected to remain in the negative territory in the current financial year, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

• While the repo rate was reduced to 4 per cent, the reverse repo rate – the interest rate at which the RBI borrows funds from commercial banks – was lowered to 3.35 per cent from 3.75 per cent.

• The committee decided to continue with its “accommodative” stance of policy, which means the central bank is ready to ease monetary policy further to support the financial system.

• Five members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted in favour of rate reduction, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said through a video address.

• The RBI extended the term loan moratorium and also relaxed the repayment terms (interest payments) to prevent a cash-squeeze for borrowers.

• The RBI Governor said the combination of fiscal, monetary and administrative measures will create conditions that will enable a gradual economic revival going forward.

• Economists say the transmission of lower interest rates by banks to their customers will be watched closely.

• “The RBI flagged risks of a negative growth print this year, while holding back on a point target. They expect disinflationary forces to dominate, suggest they open for further reduction in cuts,” said DBS Bank economist Radhika Rao.

• In March, the RBI had slashed the repo rate by 75 bps to stimulate growth, and the next month, it unexpectedly lowered the key deposit rate – or reverse repo rate – to 3.75 per cent, in a bid to discourage commercial banks from parking idle funds with it and spur lending.

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