Top Banking News Headlines of 22nd October 2025

 Bank Holidays for Diwali Week: Banks in several states across India are closed today, October 22, for festivals like Bali Pratipada, Vikram Samvant New Year Day, and Govardhan Pooja/Balipadyami. States observing the closure include Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Digital services like mobile banking, UPI, and ATMs remain operatio

Credit Demand Revival Expected: Large private sector banks in India are seeing "green shoots" and anticipate a revival in credit demand in the second half of FY26, attributing this to supportive fiscal and monetary measures.

RBL Bank and Emirates NBD Deal: The recent news of Emirates NBD's potential large stake acquisition in RBL Bank (reported as high as 60% for a $3 billion investment) continues to be a major talking point, with RBL Bank reportedly eyeing a move into wealth management and aiming for a "large lender" status. The RBI's final approval remains key, as its guidelines typically cap a single foreign institutional shareholding at 15%.

PNB Estimates Impact of New RBI Credit Rules: Punjab National Bank (PNB) is one of the first major public-sector banks to quantify the potential financial hit from the Reserve Bank of India's proposed Expected Credit Loss (ECL) framework. PNB expects an estimated ₹9,000 crore impact by 2031, which it believes it can absorb through internal accruals.

Net Interest Margins (NIMs) on the Mend: Following Q2 earnings announcements, reports suggest that the Net Interest Margins (a key profitability measure) for many Indian banks are improving or "bottoming out," with both private and public sector lenders like Indian Overseas Bank, DCB Bank, and Federal Bank reporting sequential improvements.